Getty The Green Bay Packers could shock the NFL world by backing off on an Aaron Rodgers trade with the Jets, sending the four-time MVP to the Titans instead.
The Green Bay Packers have been taking their time to finalize a trade that would send Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets, but general manager Brian Gutekunst could shock the NFL world by sending the four-time MVP to a different AFC team during the 2023 NFL Draft.
With zero movement happening in a Packers-Jets trade, rumors have surfaced that the San Francisco 49ers could swoop in to make an appealing offer to Green Bay for Rodgers. Now that teams have had time to see that the Packers and Jets are at a standoff in finalizing a trade, they may be interested in sending their own trade offers to lure the superstar quarterback to their respective franchises.
That’s exactly what Brad Gagnon with Bleacher Report has in mind with their latest hypothetical NFL draft trade scenarios. Gagnon has the Tennessee Titans making a run on Rodgers, offering the Packers the 11th overall pick in exchange for the future Hall of Fame quarterback.
“Instead, if the Titans are indeed interested in trading up for one of the draft’s top four quarterbacks, you can’t help but wonder if they might also be willing to sell that No. 11 selection in exchange for Rodgers,” Gagnon said. “…Even if a first-round selection in this year’s draft isn’t needed specifically to land Rodgers, the advantage in terms of draft capital could help put the Titans over the top.”
Latest on Aaron Rodgers
While trade offers from the 49ers or Titans could create a bidding war, almost all reporting at the moment is pointing to Rodgers playing for the Jets in 2023.
Gutekunst provided some additional context on the ongoing trade negotiations while speaking with reporters during NFL owner meetings in Phoenix. Along with revealing that he had tried reaching out to Rodgers multiple times without success, Gutekunst also mentioned that a first-round pick wouldn’t be necessary to get a deal done with the Jets.
The Packers GM also didn’t rule out Rodgers returning to Green Bay in 2023, but admitted that the scenario was unlikely at this point in the offseason. Gutekunst wasn’t able to provide a timeline of when a deal could get done, but was hopeful it would happen soon.
NBC Sports’ Peter King had a more firm deadline in mind, citing April 28, or the second day of the draft, as the last day a deal could get done. King also mentioned that compensation similar to those in Brett Favre and Joe Montana deals had been discussed between the two teams.
While new teams are popping up in rumors, the Jets still remain the favorite to land Rodgers this offseason.
Could The Packers Draft a QB?
While Jordan Love is expected to be the starter for the Packers in 2023, the team isn’t ruling out the possibility of adding another QB.
The Packers have scheduled a top-30 visit with former Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Hendon Hooker ahead of this year’s draft. A 25-year-old QB coming off of a torn ACL, Hooker is older than Love, but could be seen as an option to give Love some extra competition going forward.
Rodgers experienced similar competition early in his career, with the Packers taking former Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm in the second round of the 2008 draft. While the Packers could also just be trying to learn more about Hooker’s teammate in wide receiver Jalin Hyatt, it would be fitting to see Green Bay repeat history with Love the same way they did with Rodgers over a decade ago.