Getty Josh McDaniels & Mark Davis of the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Las Vegas Raiders have no choice but to sit tight and wait to see which quarterback might be available to them. The only likely option who would be available in a trade is Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers but he has yet to reveal if he plans to play next season. Once he makes a decision, Rodgers and the Packers need to decide if he’s staying in Green Bay or getting traded.
Raiders players and fans have been working hard to get him to Las Vegas. At the recent Pebble Beach Pro-Am in California, Rodgers was haggled by fans doing a “Raiders” chant. Josh Jacobs, Darren Waller and Davante Adams have also stated their support for bringing in the four-time MVP. However, if the Raiders want him, it’s going to cost. Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd believes the Raiders make perfect sense for Rodgers.
“Aaron, let’s start with this, has never missed Davante Adams more,” Cowherd said on a February 15 episode of “The Herd.” “Secondly, Green Bay would love to send Rodgers to the Raiders, I’m told, because it’s a tough division. Three, the Raiders and the Packers front offices have been doing deals the last couple of years. They almost pulled off a Darren Waller deal and they did a Davante Adams deal. These front offices have worked together before.
“Four, the Raiders have the third-most cap space in the league. … The Raiders are also excellent offensively.”
Cowherd went on to pitch a trade that sees the Raiders send the No. 7 pick in this year’s draft, a third-round pick and a fourth-round pick to Green Bay for Rodgers.
“Aaron is going to a black hole for 4 days. Why not just make it full-time?”
— @ColinCowherd makes the case for Aaron Rodgers to the Raiders
Trading No. 7 Pick for Rodgers Would Be a Mistake
Rodgers is one of the greatest players in NFL history and will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Adding him would bring legitimacy to the Raiders and the offense would reach new heights. However, there is serious risk in giving up so much draft capital to get him. First off, he’s 39 and will turn 40 during the 2023 season. Thanks to Tom Brady playing at an elite level until age 45, it’s easy to forget that almost every great quarterback started to take a steep decline as they neared 40. Peyton Manning retired at Rodgers’ current age of 39.
The Raiders would be lucky to get two great years out of Rodgers. Is that worth giving up a top-10 draft pick while also inheriting $60 to $70 million worth of contract? Perhaps for a team with a better roster but the Raiders have serious issues to address this offseason. If Rodgers says he only wants to play in Las Vegas and won’t go anywhere else, that’d help the Raiders negotiate a lower price.
What Should the Raiders Be Willing to Give up for Rodgers?
While Rodgers isn’t worth giving up the No. 7 pick, there’s no doubt he’d provide a spark for the Raiders. The team is still trying to drive Las Vegas fans to Allegiant Stadium. Last season was rough as opposing fans would flood the stands. Adding a quarterback of Rodgers’ caliber would get more Raiders fans in the seats.
Perhaps next year’s first-round pick would be a fair price to pay for the quarterback. The addition of Rodgers would almost guarantee the team not getting another top-10 pick in 2024 if he stays healthy. This would allow the Raiders to use the No. 7 pick on a player who could help the team win immediately.