Which Teams Will Be in the Aaron Rodgers Sweepstakes if He Is Traded Next Year?
Well, the cat is out of the bag. Aaron Rodgers is back in a Green Bay Packers uniform but maybe only for one more year.
It seems as if one stipulation of him returning to the Packers this year is that he is to be traded to the team of his choice next year.
Several teams will be interested in the NFL MVP, but which franchises will make a move and trade for him? Depending on the cap space, the needs of the team, and what players, or draft picks teams may be willing to part with, will all play a factor in where Rodgers could land next year.
Denver Broncos
The long-rumored likely team to go after Rodgers next year and the team he’s most interested in joining is the Broncos. Although they have Drew Lock, who will more than likely be the starting quarterback for this year, if Rodgers becomes available, you better believe they will make a run at him.
Keep in mind, this is the same team that went after free agent Peyton Manning in 2012, even after Tim Tebow led them to a playoff victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Manning deal paid off. He led the Broncos to the playoffs all three years as a starter and won the Broncos a Super Bowl in 2015. Manning thrived in Denver during his final years in football, and Rodgers might find a similar switch attractive.
The Broncos also have the most salary space available out of the three teams mentioned, according to Spotrac with $51,446,336.
San Francisco 49ers
Rodgers is from the Bay Area, attended school at the University of California, and was a 49ers fan growing up. Before the Packers drafted Rodgers in 2005, many NFL analysts thought at the time his favorite team would select him according to Sports Illustrated.
But the Niners instead drafted Alex Smith out of Utah and later would trade for Jimmy Garoppolo in 2017, who is the presumptive starter for this year. One of the reasons the 49ers were looking at Rodgers and drafting another quarterback was because Garoppolo was hit with the injury bug (he had a high ankle sprain) in 2020. But if something were to happen with Rodgers, Garoppolo may be part of the trade.
Bringing Rodgers home toward the end of his career would be an opportunity for them to make it right. The club investigated trading for Rodgers according to the San Jose Mercury News, before drafting their preferred choice at quarterback, Trey Lance.
Even though they drafted Lance, they would be a fool not to go after Rodgers even if it were just for another year or two. Another advantage is that Lance could learn from the MVP as he prepares himself to become the starter someday.
With that being said, the 49ers will have to make room for Rodgers; they only have just over $6.3 million in cap space available.
Las Vegas Raiders
The surprise team in the mix for Rodgers is the Raiders, and like the other two teams involved, they are a West Coast team, which would bring him closer to home and a team that has the potential to make a Super Bowl run.
The question is, are the Raiders ready to pull the trigger? If Rodgers is traded, the team who gets him will likely have to give up a lot for him.
The Packers may not only ask for top draft picks, but also for veteran playmakers like quarterback David Carr, running back Josh Jacobs, and even 2020 first-round draft pick Henry Ruggs III, who is an explosive wide receiver.
That’s a lot to ask for just one player, but it may be worth it if Rodgers can return the Raiders to their glory days.
Like the Broncos, the Raiders do have room under the salary cap to bring in Rodgers. The Raiders have $48 million available if they were to trade for Rodgers.
