Getty Tim Brown with Jeff Hostetler.
It has been several weeks into the offseason for the Las Vegas Raiders and it’s still unclear what their plans at quarterback are. The team holds the No. 7 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft so there’s a chance they could draft a rookie. Las Vegas appeared to be ready to go after Tom Brady before his retirement. With him no longer an option, the best veteran quarterback who could be available to the Raiders is Aaron Rodgers.
The Green Bay Packers star could finally be moving on after 18 seasons with the team. If he decides he wants to go elsewhere, the Packers will start exploring trade options. Rodgers won’t have a ton of suitors due to the fact that he’ll be turning 40 during the season. There’s been some debate about whether the Raiders should go after Rodgers or build around a rookie. Hall of Famer wide receiver Tim Brown believes that Las Vegas needs to do what it can to add the quarterback if he’s available.
“This is friggin’ Aaron Rodgers,” Brown said on a February 17 episode of the “Zach Gelb Show.” “He could play ‘til he’s 45 years old for all we know and play at a very high level. … I don’t think you pass on an opportunity like that, I think if you’ve got a chance to go with Aaron, you got to make that happen.”
“This is friggin Aaron Rodgers! He could play ‘til he’s 45-years-old for all we know & play at a very high level…I don’t think you pass on an opportunity like that, I think if you’ve got a chance to go with Aaron, you got to make that happen.” –@81TimBrown on Rodgers to Raiders
Brown Doesn’t Believe Davante Adams Wants to Play With Young QB
The idea of adding Rodgers has garnered support from Raiders star players Josh Jacobs, Davante Adams and Darren Waller. Adams’ word might hold the most weight as he played with Rodgers for eight seasons in Green Bay. He risked a lot by asking to get traded for the Raiders. The team went 6-11 and released his good friend Derek Carr. If the Raiders decide to replace Carr with a young quarterback, Brown fears that might upset Adams.
“I don’t think that Davante came to be with a developing quarterback,” Brown said on the “Raiders Podcast Network” on radio row during Super Bowl LVII week. “I think, and of course what I think is not what I know, but I think there could be an issue with him if at this stage of his career, he’s having to deal with a developing quarterback.
“So I think they’re going to try and avoid that as much as they possibly can, and if they can’t find somebody to get the guy they want, then maybe it’s a situation they have to deal with. … It’s a very pretentious situation right now, I believe. That I think that everybody has to be very, very careful about the next moves they make because it could be a legacy move.”
Raiders Should at Least Do Homework on Rodgers Trade
This could all be a moot point if Rodgers retires or decides to stay with the Packers. In the meantime, the Raiders would be wise to at least do their due diligence. Rodgers is coming off a down year but was the back-to-back MVP from 2020 to 2021. It’s easy to see him return to MVP form if he’s reunited with Adams.
Now, if the Packers are asking for the Raiders’ No. 7 pick in this year’s draft or multiple first-round picks, the team shouldn’t even entertain that option. Giving up valuable assets for a quarterback who could retire after one season may not be worth it if the team doesn’t win the Super Bowl. If the Packers are willing to be flexible, then the Raiders should at least thoroughly explore a trade for Rodgers.