Getty The Green Bay Packers could add a new successor at quarterback behind Aaron Rodgers in 2023.
The Green Bay Packers will have some difficult decisions to make this offseason at the quarterback position, but if the team is interested in find a new successor to Aaron Rodgers, they could find one this offseason with top-tier athletic traits.
Following the team’s 20-16 loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 18 that knocked the Packers out of postseason contention, Rodgers talked about the possibility of retirement in his postgame press conference. Although he declined to make a decision one way or the other, the option is on the table as the Packers prepare for all possible scenarios at quarterback.
With all of the uncertainty at the position, Charles McDonald with Yahoo! Sports suggested that the Packers draft a potential successor at QB in his latest 2023 mock draft. With the 15th overall pick, McDonald had the Packers taking Florida Gators quarterback Anthony Richardson as a long-term project for the team.
“The Packers need to figure out their post-Aaron Rodgers situation again,” McDonald said. “Keeping Jordan Love around might create a difficult cap situation for them, so they might as well restart the rookie contract clock on a quarterback. Richardson has top 1 percent physical attributes, but he needs some time before being the face of a franchise. Sitting behind Rodgers could be beneficial for him.”
Would the Packers Consider Trading Jordan Love?
Drafting another quarterback in the first round just three years after taking Jordan Love would be a bold move by the Packers. However, with the way things have unfolded in Green Bay, there’s a real possibility that Love will never get the opportunity to be the starter for the Packers.
Taken with the 26th overall pick in the 2020 draft, Love was expected to be the successor to Rodgers after just a few seasons with the team. However, the future Hall of Fame quarterback took over in the following seasons, winning back-to-back MVP awards while throwing to a superstar wide receiver in Davante Adams.
With just one career start under his belt, Love will be entering his fourth NFL season with the possibility that Rodgers is still the starter in Green Bay. If that’s the case, the 24-year-old has reportedly considered a trade request so that he can finally get the opportunity to be a starting QB in the NFL.
The Packers will have to decide on picking up Love’s expensive fifth-year option before the start of the 2023 season. If Rodgers decides to play again next season, then the Packers could decide to trade Love elsewhere rather than picking up another expensive quarterback contract for 2024.
Could Aaron Rodgers Be Traded?
Even if Rodgers decides not to retire this offseason, the Packers could decide to move on from the 39-year-old quarterback by trading him elsewhere.
Trade rumors have already popped up surrounding Rodgers and several teams, including the New York Jets. However, the financials involved in a possible trade would make it very difficult for a trade to happen, even if Rodgers and the Packers mutually agree to ship him to another team.
The most realistic trade scenario for Rodgers, according to Over the Cap, would be for the superstar quarterback to be traded after June 1. However, that kind of trade can be difficult to maneuver after teams have already made commitments to quarterbacks in free agency or the draft.
However, for a team desperately seeking a franchise QB for at least one or two more seasons, there’s an outside chance that they’d be willing to wait to make a move for the 39-year-old future Hall of Fame quarterback.