Aaron Rodgers and the Packers have spent 18 seasons together. But it’s possible the star quarterback could play elsewhere in 2023. Rodgers admitted after a deflated end to 2022 that he was undecided about his NFL future, and although retirement and a return to Green Bay are on the table, the team is should at least consider negotiating the QB.
Rodgers just signed a three-year, $150 million contract extension last March. Discharging his deal would bring challenges. But even at 39, after a year of decline, he would surely get a compensation bonus, which could help general manager Brian Gutekunst rebuild around Rodgers heir apparent Jordan Love. Rodgers would also be relatively affordable for an acquisition team, due at $31.6 million in 2023 — the 10th highest rating among QBs, behind guys like Matt Ryan, Derek Carr and Ryan Tannehill.
With all that in mind, here’s a first look at Rodgers’ logical suitors, in case he and Green Bay agree to part ways:
Note: Salary cap figures courtesy of Over the Cap.
Geno Smith is a good story, but at 32, approaching free agency, he’ll be a gamble given that 2022 is his only productive season as a starter. Seattle wouldn’t necessarily want to get rid of an aging QB (Russell Wilson) just to add another one a year later, but 71-year-old Pete Carroll is likely interested in getting a fight sooner rather than later. He has other pieces – Kenneth Walker III, DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett – to help him out. He has plenty of cap space ($30.6 million) to use, and even more draft picks from the Russ deal. And GM John Schneider has a big Packers connection; he was Ted Thompson’s main assistant when Green Bay drafted Rodgers, and he was the director of football operations when A-Rod took over from Brett Favre and won his only Super Bowl.
8. 49ers
Chances are they’ll happily enter 2023 with at least two of their QBs currently on the roster: Brock Purdy, Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance. The former has already done enough as an emergency replacement for Jimmy G to warrant serious consideration as next year’s opening day guy. But with Lance still a total unknown, why wouldn’t Kyle Shanahan at least entertain this duo? He’s certainly done that before, calling the Packers over Rodgers’ availability ahead of 2021. San Francisco is built to fight, with guns on both sides of the ball. And Rodgers would surely jump at the chance, growing up a 49ers fan in California and wishing San Francisco had drafted him in 2005.
General manager Jason Licht is going to be craving a quick fix if 45-year-old Tom Brady calls him out for good or, perhaps more likely, tests free agency in search of one last fresh start. The question is, does he have enough cap manipulations up his sleeve to make this achievable? On paper, the sunny destination would be attractive to Rodgers, who could potentially help reshape offensive philosophy and guide roster decisions, as Brady did. When healthy, they remain a contender in a very open division.
Yes, Tua Tagovailoa is in town and has taken a big step forward at the start of 2022 under Mike McDaniel, but how on earth can they trust his availability moving forward? Tua’s health is bigger than the game, and after at least two concussions this year, he’s both a short- and long-term question mark under center, where he’s always struggled as a pitcher. off-screen and deep ball. Miami is the perfect landing spot for a stopgap like Rodgers or Tom Brady; with premium weaponry and smart strategy, they could conceivably go bankrupt in 2023 without sacrificing a potential future with Tagovailoa.
Always open to veteran QB business, they have the guns and skill defense to stay in the playoff mix. What they don’t have, as usual, is a proper franchise cue, with Carson Wentz set to be cut and Sam Howell enjoying just one NFL start. Cap space is a concern, but if the respected Ron Rivera is still in charge, he could be a real draw for a longtime vet like Rodgers.
You can only win despite your young QBs for so long, right? Bill Belichick has the running game and defense to elevate the uninspiring game under center, but in 2023 he’ll also have the cap space ($48.8 million) to pursue a hit Mac upgrade Jones. What better way to finally recreate the Brady era than by focusing on the next best thing? Rodgers could also put his own spin on offense/personnel, allowing Belichick to devote his full attention to the ‘D’.
Ryan Tannehill is doing his job well for a team that never dies, but he owes more than even Rodgers in 2023, and another early playoff exit would seem to confirm his ceiling. A-Rod kinda likes him Mike Vrabel, who has yet to introduce a superstar to the QB despite having proven playoff experience. LaFleur grew out of this organization. And Rodgers would surely benefit from an offense that relies heavily on Derrick Henry’s bruised legs, not to mention an open division every year. It helps that Tennessee isn’t necessarily in a good position to land a top QB prospect in the draft.
Respected as he once was in the organization, Derek Carr is now an inevitable victim of the cap via release or trade, and was likely already eyeing new landscapes amid another lost season. Rodgers, meanwhile, has established chemistry with the Raiders’ best investment, Davante Adams, and would move closer to his West Coast home.
Regardless of what Robert Saleh and Joe Douglas say publicly, second-year QB Zach Wilson is on thin ice both on the field and in the locker room, repeatedly proving to be a prospect’s weakest link. otherwise fiery in the playoffs. They’re assembled in all places other than below center, which makes a veteran upgrade particularly enticing. Coach Saleh is a respected voice who knows A-Rod well from the Packers’ battles with the 49ers. And offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, a disciple of Kyle Shanahan, is the younger brother of Rodgers coach Matt in Green Bay.