Getty Rumors about who will be the next quarterback of Bruce Arians' Buccaneers are heating up.
The Aaron Rodgers trade rumors are heating up after the star quarterback’s cryptic Instagram message, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are among the teams that could have an interest in a blockbuster deal. According to Bet Online AG, the Buccaneers are third in the odds, at +400, to land Rodgers, just behind the Denver Broncos (+275) and the San Francisco 49ers (+350).
Rodgers caused a stir by posting a lengthy Instagram message that ended with a photo of Packers teammates Randall Cobb and Davante Adams standing on the sideline without Rodgers.
“To my teammates, past and current, you are the icing on the beautiful cake we call our job; football,” Rodgers said in the February 22 post. “The friendships that we have will transcend our collective time in this game and I am so thankful for the role that each of you have played in making my life that much better. I love you guys, and cherish the memories we’ve made.”
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The Bucs ‘Will Exhaust All Options’ at QB to ‘Maximize the Championship Window’: Report
Aaron Rodgers next team if leaves GB
Broncos +275
49ers +350
Bucs +400
Steelers +600
Colts +750
Saints +1000
Dolphins +1200
Raiders +1200
Browns +1600
Titans +1600
Eagles +2000
Seahawks +2500
It remains to be seen if the Buccaneers will get aggressive by pursuing a trade for Rodgers, but we do know that Bruce Arians acknowledge the team may explore “door No. 2” by adding a veteran quarterback this offseason. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that the Buccaneers plan to “exhaust all options” at quarterback as they attempt to “maximize the championship window” with their win-now roster.
“The Buccaneers will exhaust all options to resolve their quarterback situation after the retirement of Tom Brady, per sources,” Fowler wrote on February 16. “The goal is to maximize the championship window instead of rebuild. Second-round pick Kyle Trask and veteran Blaine Gabbert remain in the fold, but big-name quarterbacks such as Watson or Russell Wilson could be options Tampa Bay at least explores.”
What Would Rodgers Cost the Bucs in a Trade?
What would the Buccaneers have to give up to have a chance at trading for Rodgers, who still has two years remaining on his four-year, $134 million contract. It is safe to assume Tampa Bay would need to offer multiple first-round picks and potentially appealing players to land Rodgers. The Buccaneers could also include Kyle Trask as a young quarterback option who could compete with Packers backup quarterback Jordan Love to be the team’s next QB1.
The Athletic’s Greg Auman noted that the Bucs could find it challenging to compete with the Broncos in a bidding war. And Rodgers could prefer a destination that wasn’t just rescued by Tom Brady, who led the Bucs to the 2021 Super Bowl.
“If you’re trying to compete with a seven-time Super Bowl winner, how about an almost assuredly back-to-back league MVP?” Auman wrote on February 1. “The biggest obstacle here is that he’s under contract, and the Packers won’t want to deal him to an NFC rival like the Bucs. Tampa Bay even plays host to Green Bay next season, which would make for a Brett Favre level of revenge storylines.
“It will be costly to pry Rodgers from the Packers, and by comparison, the Broncos make more sense for Rodgers as a more distant exile with a familiar head coach in ex-Packers assistant Nathaniel Hackett, which he is more likely to sign off on for his own end-of-career, Brady-style final chapter.”