I was a big fan of the Packers letting Rodgers walk last off-season. They were in the red in cap space, had a lot of aging veterans, and I valued Adams over Rodgers. Unfortunately, the Packers resigned him, let Adams walk, and for the most part looked like a team that shouldn’t even be in conversations for the 7th seed (somehow they were still knocking on the door at the end of the season). Now the rumors of a Rodgers trade are all around us.
There are some big hurdles to Rodgers as far as being able to trade him, or even keep him on the roster. According to Over the Cap, Rodgers is set to bring in a massive $59.5 million for 2023, which is fully guaranteed. That is not a number that can be moved easily. The good news is that Rodgers himself is open to restructuring his deal to free up cap space and lower his cost. Even if that is true, there are clear needs that this team has to address to even get back into contention. Even if he does restructure his deal, the Packers are starting the year in the red again, this time $16 million in the red. If the Packers feel they can’t get under that number and get a team that can compete, specially in a suddenly competitive NFC North, trading Rodgers may be the only option they have.
The best cap savings they can find is trading Rodgers after June 1st, where Over The Cap sees them saving $15.5 million in cap space (before any restructure which would certainly need to happen to make a trade work). The issue then is to find a suitable trade candidate who sees themselves a QB away from contending. Now there are always teams who “believe” they are right there but I only really see 2 teams who would be willing to take that chance.
Team number 1 just hired Nathaniel Hackett as their OC which seems like a preemptive move to getting Rodgers. Course having Hackett on your team doesn’t guarantee that you will win the Rodgers sweepstakes (just ask Denver how it went). Of course I am talking about the New York Jets. This wouldn’t be the first time the Packers sent a sure fire Hall of Fame QB to New York (see Brett Favre). It is clear that Zach Wilson has lost a ton of favor and support in that coaching staff and in that locker room. Is it enough to move off of him and take a flyer on an aging Rodgers? Only time will tell.
Team number 2 is a team that we have seen go after aging QB again and again, trying to find a short term answer to the games most important position. The Colts have had a great defense and mediocre to abysmal QB play that has hindered there ability to return to relevancy. Rodgers would definitely be an upgrade for them, but the question is do they still have the picks and cap space to get Rodgers from the Packers. They do have the 4th overall pick in this years draft which, if traded, would get the Packers a sure fire shot at a top QB in the draft. Bringing on Rodgers would mean they would cut Ryan (not a big deal) and give them the cap space to absorb most of Rodgers contract if not the whole thing with out any more major changes to the roster. The real questions here is do the Colts see that 4th overall selection as their chance to get the next QB of the future. Only issue here is that the Packers eat more money if they trade Rodgers before June 1st.
Of course, this all depends on if a team sees Rodgers as a sure thing. He has consistently hinted at and played around with the idea of retirement. Other reports have questioned his dedication to the game and if he really wants another championship. His own statements have come under scrutiny recently when Rob Gronkowski called him out for saying he wanted to get back to a MVP caliber QB and didn’t say anything about trying to win another championship. The Packers should do what they didn’t last year. Its time to ship him out like they did Favre. Only good news is they can probably get more than they did for Favre and shorten their rebuild window.