Clayton: Come late summer, Aaron Rodgers could become a Bronco

For everyone in Denver getting excited over the possibility of an Aaron Rodgers trade, put your emotions on hold.

The Green Bay Packers aren’t trading him now. The cap hit is too big doing it before June 1. At the moment, the Packers don’t have enough cap room to sign their draft choices. Plus, Rodgers is too valuable to trade. He was an MVP last year and has led the team to back-to-back 13-win seasons.

But there is a chance something can happen in a Rodgers trade to Denver by late summer or in the fall. Rodgers has lost all faith in a front office that hasn’t added enough weapons on offense to get him to the Super Bowl.

Although this predates the current administration, the first choice for the Packers in the last 10 drafts were on defense. The only offensive player taken over the past 10 years in the first round quarterback Jordan Luck, drafted to presumably replace Rodgers.

Last year, the Packers didn’t get Rodgers a wide receiver. He steamed. He’s more fed up this year and doesn’t plan to return to Green Bay.

Let’s go back in history to see why his stance could work out to get him out of Green Bay in late summer or in the fall.

Carson Palmer had the same feelings after the 2010 season with the Cincinnati Bengals. In his seven seasons with the Bengals, he only went to playoffs twice and lost in both games. The Bengals finished 4-12 in 2010. Frustrated, he asked to be traded. Owner Mike Brown said no. Palmer followed by saying he would never set foot in Paul Brown Stadium again.

Palmer noted that he had $80 million in the bank. So he told head coach Marvin Lewis he was going to retire.

As a precaution, the Bengals drafted quarterback Andy Dalton in 2011. Palmer didn’t report to camp. He didn’t report at the start of the season.

Because he came through with his threat of not going back to the Bengals, they got a call from the Oakland Raiders. An injury took away their starting quarterback, Jason Campbell. The Bengals traded him for a No. 1 choice in 2012 and a conditional second-round pick in 2013.

Palmer’s agent was David Dunn. Rodgers’ agent is David Dunn.

At the moment, the only two teams looking for quarterbacks are the Broncos and the Washington Football Team. So the list of immediate suitors is short.

If you are the Packers, you better believe Rodgers’ threat is true. He’s already pocketed a $6.8 million roster bonus in March. Plus, he probably has more in the bank than Palmer did.

Let’s just say there is a chance.