In a story first reported by Grayson Quay of Yahoo! Sports, the writer cites sources with close knowledge of the Aaron Rodgers/Green Bay situation who say the QB currently has deals in place with the Titans, Broncos, and Steelers. While the veteran QB hasn’t ruled out staying with the Packers, that apparently hasn’t stopped his camp from putting together the framework of trades which could see Rodgers in a new uniform next year.
As it stands, the Packers are currently $44.8M over the cap, so shedding the league MVP’s $33.5M contract would go a long way towards balancing their budget in 2022. Even if Green Bay were to retain Rodgers’ services, they’d need to get creative with existing contracts if they hope to retain the core pieces of last year’s roster.
Davante Adams is currently a free agent and will be looking for a hefty pay raise. So if Rodgers comes back, there’s a very real possibility he’d be without his favourite target at Lambeau.
Currently 38 years old, Rodgers has called Green Bay home since he first broke into the league in 2005. He helped the Packers win the Super Bowl in 2010, but has come up agonizingly short in the post season the last few years.
While the QB has yet to formally announce that he’ll suit up again in 2022, those who are close to him don’t believe that retirement is truly on the table for Rodgers. The decision to zero in on quarterback needy AFC teams is an interesting one, as the conference is currently loaded with QB talent at the moment.
Pittsburgh, Tennessee, and Denver all appear to be “a quarterback away” from contending in 2022. Yet playing in a conference with Mahomes, Jackson, Herbert, and Burrow amongst others would seem to be a tougher path to the Super Bowl in theory than remaining in the NFC.
Despite rumours that Rodgers’ camp may be working the phone lines behind the scenes, Packers GM Brian Gutekunst told Packers Wire that “not a single person” had called to inquire about the MVP’s availability. While both sides are likely posturing with their statements and leaked rumours, fans are likely to get an answer in the next few weeks in the leadup to the NFL Draft.
The 2022 NFL Draft begins on Thursday April 28th in Las Vegas, NV.
Photo: Mike Morbeck. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.