Getty Aaron Rodgers with Derek Carr.
The rumors surrounding an Aaron Rodgers trade have certainly cooled down as of late but anything is still possible. The Las Vegas Raiders are one of the teams that he’d welcome a trade to, according to Pro Football Talk, but there hasn’t been any indication that the team is interested. Rodgers would be a game-changer for the team but it would also cost a steep price.
Raiders Hall of Famer Tim Brown, who recently dropped a pair of NFTs, has always been very opinionated about the latest news surrounding his former team. He had a chance to weigh in on the possibility of Las Vegas making a play for Rodgers.
“Who wouldn’t want Aaron Rodgers on your football team, right?” Brown told Heavy.com. “The fact of the matter is that it’s way too costly. I mean, there’s no way that’s going to happen without three or four first-round picks, and probably one of your best players on your team right now. If I’m the Packers, that’s why I’m asking for, so maybe there’s a team out there in the position to do that, but I don’t think the Raiders can possibly do that.”
What Brown is saying is likely what the Raiders are telling themselves right now. Trading for Rodgers would cost a seriously pretty penny. If he was 27, it would be worth it. However, he’s 37 right now and there’s no way to know how much longer he’ll be an elite player. The risk may not end up being worth the reward.
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Brown Assesses Derek Carr
A big reason why the Raiders likely won’t pursue a deal for Rodgers is the fact that they already have a solid quarterback in Derek Carr. The team is clearly happy with him as they could’ve got involved in any number of quarterback trade talks. Brown believes that Carr has a ceiling but brings a steady presence to the Raiders.
“Derek carr is gonna be Derek Carr no matter what,” Brown said. “He’s not going to change at this particular stage of his career. You know what he’s going to do, you know what he’s not going to do. I think he’s in the upper-middle part of the league right now. I don’t think he’s below middle but definitely not in the upper five or six quarterbacks in the league … but he’s going to be steady and at this particular point, [Jon] Gruden knows who he is and knows what position he can put him in and not put him in.”
Brown’s assessment of Carr is about where many in the media rank him. Pro Football Focus recently just ranked him as the 13th best quarterback in the NFL heading into the 2021 season. That would put him in the upper-middle part of the league as the Hall of Fame wide receiver stated. While Brown doesn’t think Carr is elite, he is still a fan.
“I think Derek is a very solid guy and I think he’s the guy to lead the Raiders,” Brown said.
Raiders Should Be Feeling About QB Situation
Heading into 2021, the Raiders should be feeling they be happy with their group of quarterbacks. Carr is coming off a great year and they were able to retain Marcus Mariota at a discount. Las Vegas arguably has the best backup quarterback in the NFL.
If Carr goes down for any reason, the Raiders’ season won’t be completely dead in the water with Mariota waiting in the wings. Carr has improved each year under Gruden. If he can improve even further, he’ll be in line for a big contract extension.
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