Peter King puts forth a proposed Packers-Broncos trade for Rodgers
Jul 26, 2021, 11:16 AM | Updated: 11:18 am
Is he going to retire? Will he get traded? Or will he report to training camp?
Those are the three possibilities for Aaron Rodgers. They have been for three months.
Since reports circulated on the first day of the NFL Draft that the quarterback wanted out of Green Bay, nothing new has emerged. There have been a lot of rumors. There has been plenty of speculation. But zero has actually occurred.
That will start to change on Tuesday, however. That’s the day the Packers are scheduled to report to training camp.
If Rodgers fails to show up, he’ll be fined $50,000 per day for his absence. And it will be a sign that the quarterback will retire if he doesn’t get traded.
Of course, he could still get traded even if he reports to camp. And he could still play for Green Bay even if he’s a no-show on Tuesday.
So really, nothing could change for the comings weeks, as well. The holding pattern could continue.
If the Packers do decide that they have no choice but to trade Rodgers, there are two scenarios that could unfold. Peter King outlined them in his “Football Morning in America” column today.
First, Green Bay could agree to trade Rodgers after the season, loading up on draft picks in March. That option would entail an unhappy QB playing for the Packers in 2021 or the reigning MVP sitting out a season at age 38, neither of which sounds ideal.
Second, Green Bay could deal Rodgers now, a move that would require what King calls “significant 2021 value.” In other words, the Packers would have to get something that could help this season, which means more than just future draft picks.
To illustrate his point, King outlined a potential trade between the Packers and the Broncos. Here’s what he proposed:
Denver gets Rodgers.
Green Bay gets:
• First-round picks in 2022 and 2023.
• Quarterback Drew Lock (two years and a potential option year left on his rookie deal).
• Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (three years and a potential option year left on his rookie deal).
Lock would replace Rodgers, assuming he could beat out Jordan Love. Jeudy would provide insurance in case Davante Adams wants to follow his quarterback out the door. Those are two things that would pay immediate dividends for the Packers.
This seems like a no-brainer for the Broncos. It’s a move that would make Denver an instant contender.
The first-round picks would most likely be in the high-20s, as Rodgers would make the Broncos a perennial playoff team. Lock would be a backup at best after the trade, with Teddy Bridgewater better suited for that role.
Jeudy would be tough to part with, as the second-year wideout appears poised for a breakout year. But if that’s what it takes to get a deal done, it seems like a price worth paying. After all, a great receiving corps is wasted if the quarterback position isn’t solidified.
If this is the actual cost of getting Aaron Rodgers, George Paton should be on the phone, offering to make life much simpler for Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst.