Rodgers Wanted Trade to 49ers Ahead of NFL Draft

Aaron Rodgers is ready to leave the Green Bay Packers, and the San Francisco 49ers are among the list of teams with which he is hoping to land.

The 49ers made an overture to the Packers on Wednesday, April 28, about trading for Rodgers, according to a report from the NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. A source subsequently told Pelissero that there was “zero chance” Green Bay would move on from the reigning MVP.

However, Rodgers may be powerful enough to dictate a departure from the franchise he’s played with his entire career. And according to a report from Mike Florio, of Pro Football Talk, Rodgers wanted the Packers to pull the trigger on a deal that would have sent him to San Francisco.

“He wanted Packers to take the 49ers’ offer,” tweeted Florio, citing what he called an unimpeachable source.

Pelissero said that the 49ers never made an official offer to Green Bay, but several reports indicated any deal would have included the No. 3 pick in this year’s NFL Draft, along with other considerations. One such consideration could be current 49ers signal caller Jimmy Garoppolo. The team has been fielding trade offers for Garoppolo from several franchises in recent days.

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Rodgers Expected he Would be a 49er Before the Start of the NFL Draft

ESPN’s Trey Wingo chimed into the conversation Thursday morning, citing sources who said that Rodgers fully expected to be a 49er the night before.

“As of last night, Rodgers was convinced he was heading to San Francisco,” Wingo wrote on Twitter.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported just hours before the start of the draft that Rodgers has grown “disgruntled” with the Packers and has communicated to several within the organization his desire to part ways with the team.

Rodgers still has two years remaining on a four-year deal worth $134 million. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Thursday that the primary issue between Rodgers and the Packers is a contract extension that, if solved, would put the matter at rest.

However, the Packers drafted Utah State quarterback Jordan Love with their first selection in 2020, prioritizing Rodgers’ replacement over taking a win-now approach in what are presumably the twilight years of his career.

That, and the fact that the Packers have been bounced from the playoffs one game shy of the Super Bowl in two of the previous three seasons, could have Rodgers’ eye wandering for a squad with the potential to put him over the top. A healthy 49ers roster could fit that bill.

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Rodgers May be Capable of Forcing Deal With 49ers, Other Franchises

If the beef between Rodgers and the Packers is real, it could not come at a better time in the current NFL landscape. The era of player empowerment in sports appears ready to leapfrog to the NFL from the NBA, where players like Anthony Davis and James Harden have been able to use their clout to force franchises to trade them after inking the superstars to Goliath deals.

Houston Texans quarterback Deshawn Watson appeared ready to become the first prominent NFL player to follow in their footsteps, until several allegations of sexual misconduct arose and hit pause on the process.

So, it may be Rodgers who blazes the trail by pushing his way out of Green Bay. NFL franchises possess a stronger power ratio with their superstars than teams do in other sports, but if there is one position at which that equation changes, it’s at quarterback.

And if there’s one quarterback with the track record and public persona to force a team’s hand, it’s Rodgers.

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