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The Green Bay Packers are on the precipice of trading Aaron Rodgers but if/when they do, the team is going to need a reliable backup quarterback behind Jordan Love.
Love was a first-round pick in 2020 and impressed the coaching staff and the front office with the development he made in his third year, though the vast majority of those impressions came on the practice field. The 24-year-old was exceptional during the second half of a road game against the Philadelphia Eagles in November, the only meaningful minutes he played in 2022, but that’s hardly a significant sample size to project his future performance.
The fact is there are a lot of uncertainties surrounding Love, including his resilience to injury and how he will handle the pressure of replacing a four-time MVP under center in his first year as an NFL starter. If the Packers trade Rodgers to the New York Jets, the only other quarterback currently on the roster is Danny Etling, who has yet to take a snap in a regular season game as a professional.
All of the variables in the team’s QB equation point to the missing piece as a player with starting experience and a proven track record of performance leading a competitive franchise. Arguably the top available option fitting that criteria is Cooper Rush of the Dallas Cowboys.
Cooper Rush Perfect Fit For Packers as Backup QB to Jordan Love
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Getty ImagesQuarterback Cooper Rush of the Dallas Cowboys attempts a pass during a game against the Washington Commanders at AT&T Stadium on October 2, 2022 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
Bill Huber of Sports Illustrated examined both current and future NFL quarterbacks available to the Packers, coming up with 11 names in free agency and the draft who are potential fits in Green Bay. Rush landed at the very top of that list.
“When Dak Prescott missed five games last season, the Cowboys went 4-1 with Rush running the show,” Huber wrote on March 8. “He completed 58.0 percent of his passes with five touchdowns and three interceptions. Really, he only played poorly in one game, with the three picks coming at Philadelphia.”
Rush will hit unrestricted free agency on March 15, at which point he is free to negotiate with any team he likes. The Packers figure to get in on those negotiations based on the organization’s governing quarterback philosophy, which general manager Brian Gutekunst outlined during the NFL Scouting Combine last week and which Huber reiterated in his piece on Wednesday.
“I was raised in this business by Ron [Wolf] and Ted [Thompson], and taking quarterbacks and having quarterbacks, you can’t have enough of them,” Gutekunst told reporters. “If you have an opportunity to acquire a guy you think can play that position at a high level in this league, you can’t turn that down.”
Rush’s Desire to Start, Get Paid May Stand in Way of Packers Signing
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GettyQuarterback Jordan Love of the Green Bay Packers throws a pass during a game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on November 27, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Gutekunst’s philosophy goes double when the team is actively shopping one of just three quarterbacks who has ever won the franchise a Super Bowl ring. That said, acquiring Rush could take some convincing.
The main obstacle in the Packers’ ability to bring Rush in is that the quarterback may be looking for a situation in which he can start immediately, or at least have a better chance of getting a starting nod earlier than he is likely to find behind Love in Green Bay.
Should the Packers actually deal Rodgers, that is a bonafide vote of confidence in Love as the future of the franchise, which means he’s going to get at least a full year, if not two, to justify the merits of trading one of the most accomplished quarterbacks in league history.
Rush’s play last year may also garner him a significant contract. His player valuation in 2022 approached $4 million, per Over The Cap, nearly four-times the amount he actually earned. He’s going to be looking for a pay day and a chance to play next season, and there are other destinations that might be more ready and willing to offer him both.
That said, Green Bay’s salary cap situation (currently $16.4 million under the threshold) will improve even more by moving off of Rodgers’ contract, which will allow the team to afford Rush with ease should Gutekunst deem him the best option available to back up Love.
Other potential options at quarterback Huber mentioned Wednesday include Jacoby Brissett, Marcus Mariota and Drew Lock.