Aaron Rodgers

The Green Bay Packers and quarterback Aaron Rodgers reportedly have agreed-upon trade packages lined up with numerous teams if the four-time NFL MVP decides he wants to move on after 17 seasons with the franchise.

That report comes from PFT's Mike Florio, who specifically mentioned the Denver Broncos, Tennessee Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers as potential landing spots: 

Per a source with knowledge of the situation, Rodgers has specific deals lined up with other teams—and those teams have trade compensation lined up with the Packers. The potential moves have been arranged, essentially, with the permission of the Packers.

The destinations are believed to be exclusively in the AFC. To little surprise, the Broncos are one of them. Other viable possibilities are, we’re told, the Titans and Steelers.

To be clear, if Rodgers chooses Denver or Tennesseee or Pittsburgh, the deals will fall into place quickly, both as to the trade terms and as to the contract Rodgers would sign.

The 38-year-old Rodgers completed 68.9 percent of his passes for 37 touchdowns (four interceptions) and 4,115 yards last year for the Packers, who earned the NFC's No. 1 playoff seed but fell to the San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional Round.

Rodgers, who has one year left on his deal, is reportedly "truly torn" on where he wants to play in 2022 per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

With all eyes on #Packers QB Aaron Rodgers and his future, here is the latest: Sources say Rodgers is truly torn on where he wants to play in 2022. While many in the NFL expect him to return — there's lots of positivity in Green Bay — he is going back and forth on what he wants.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 5, 2022

All three AFC teams on the list Florio mentioned make sense for various reasons.

The Steelers need a quarterback after Ben Roethlisberger retired. They have some young options in Mason Rudolph and Dwayne Haskins, but adding an MVP talent like Rodgers to a team that went to the playoffs last year is a no-brainer.

The Broncos have been playing quarterback roulette since Peyton Manning retired after the 2015 Super Bowl season. Trevor Siemian, Paxton Lynch, Brock Osweiler, Case Keenum, Joe Flacco, Drew Lock, Brandon Allen and Teddy Bridgewater have all started multiple games for the Broncos from 2016-2021.

Rodgers can solidify the quarterback position for a few years. The Broncos already have a rock-solid defense and a talented group of skill-position players to work with. Plus, Rodgers' ex-Packers offensive coordinator (Nathaniel Hackett) is now the Broncos' head coach.

The Titans already have a solid quarterback in Ryan Tannehill, who has helped lead Tennessee to the playoffs each of the last three years. However, Rodgers would be an upgrade for a team that earned the AFC's No. 1 seed last year.

Rodgers could also stay in Green Bay or simply call it a career. For now, Rodgers' decision remains one of the biggest offseason talking points and dominoes of this NFL offseason.

Quarterback-needy teams around the NFL will reportedly look for upgrades in trades and free agency rather than the draft this offseason. 

"There will be so much focus on the veteran market because the league is generally lukewarm on the draft class," Jeff Howe of The Athletic reported.

Howe listed Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson as potential trade candidates this offseason. The Washington Commanders, Indianapolis Colts, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers and Pittsburgh Steelers are among the teams that will be "diligent" in seeking new quarterbacks.

Trades for high-level quarterbacks will be costly, both in terms of the return package and the hit to the salary cap, but it could be a safer bet than relying on a rookie from the 2022 class.

Cincinnati's Desmond Ridder, Pittsburgh's Kenny Pickett, Ole Miss' Matt Corral, Liberty's Malik Willis and North Carolina's Sam Howell are all battling to be the first player taken at the position, although none have stood out as a true No. 1. Bleacher Report's Scouting Department listed Ridder as the top quarterback in the class but ranked him just 17th overall. 

Several of the top options tried to prove themselves at the Senior Bowl, but they fell short of expectations. 

"A couple of veteran NFL evaluators told me late in the week that they don't believe there's a single NFL starter in this year's quarterback class," Albert Breer of MMQB reported.

It would be a significant change from the 2021 class, which featured five quarterbacks taken in the first 15 picks, including each of the first three overall. Teams also trusted these players early on, with Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Justin Fields and Mac Jones each starting at least 10 games last year.

This time around, NFL teams might target other positions in the draft and fill their quarterback needs with a veteran.    

The Green Bay Packers notably did not include two-time defending MVP Aaron Rodgers in their announcement that they would be playing a game in London during the 2022 season. 

Green Bay ➡️ the UK! 🇬🇧#Packers will play in London in 2022 📰: https://t.co/gcUJJDh3dt#GoPackGo pic.twitter.com/33czZP2YMv

— Green Bay Packers (@packers) February 28, 2022

Star wideout Davante Adams, a free agent, was also left off the promotional picture. 

Rodgers has yet to announce publicly whether he intends to retire or return to playing for the 2022 campaign, and if he chooses the latter, whether it will be with the Packers.

Rodgers ended his holdout with the team ahead of the 2021 season after the 2023 year in his deal was voided and the team reportedly agreed "to review Rodgers' situation at the end of this season," per ESPN's Adam Schefter, leaving open the possibility of a divorce. 

He said last week on the Pat McAfee Show that he hasn't yet made a decision on his future:

"There will be no decision on my future today" ~@AaronRodgers12#PMSLive pic.twitter.com/TlNG5x3th5

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) February 22, 2022

The Packers, at least, appear to be bracing for the possibility that he won't be back. 

Former Indianapolis Colts punter Pat McAfee debunked reports that Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers wants to become the highest-paid player in the NFL on Friday.

Speaking about the subject on his Pat McAfee Show (beginning at the 7:40 mark), McAfee said he texted Rodgers to ask if it was true and was told it wasn't:

McAfee added that the reports about Rodgers demanding $50 million from the Packers were "categorically false."

Rumors of Rodgers' monetary demands surfaced Thursday when ESPN's Dianna Russini appeared on the Rich Eisen Show and said Rodgers wants to be the "highest-paid player in the NFL by a wide margin," which would put him in the neighborhood of $50 million per year:

She reported this morning an update on a when Aaron Rodgers could make a decision on his playing future and @diannaESPN joined us to explain what she's heard on the matter:#NFL #GoPackGo pic.twitter.com/hLC5CMIVlc

— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) February 24, 2022

Rodgers won his second consecutive NFL MVP award last season, and there are questions regarding whether he will remain with the Packers.

After initially not reporting to training camp last year because of issues with the organization, Rodgers ultimately showed up and played out the season.

At the time, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the Packers made some concessions to get Rodgers to play in 2021. Among them was voiding the 2023 year in Rodgers' contract to make him a free agent after 2022.

Schefter also reported last year that the Packers and Rodgers were in discussions about essentially allowing Rodgers to choose where he wants to play in 2022.

Earlier this week, however, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said agreeing to trade Rodgers if he wanted out after 2021 "was not something I told him," per ESPN's Rob Demovsky.

Rodgers has been outspoken about his belief that the Packers haven't always treated their top players with proper respect or given them the types of contracts they deserve in order to keep them in the fold.

Wide receiver Randall Cobb was among the players Rodgers specifically mentioned, and the Packers acquired him prior to the 2021 season in an apparent attempt to appease their disgruntled quarterback.

Former Packers wide receiver Greg Jennings, who was Rodgers' teammate from 2006-12, called Rodgers a "very selfish guy" during an appearance on FS1's First Things First on Friday:

"Aaron Rodgers has been a very selfish guy. ... I go back to personal experiences. His words to me were, 'don't be that guy.' All of a sudden, it's about the money."

— @GregJennings on reports that Rodgers wants to be NFL's highest-paid player: pic.twitter.com/UWYIoNZVUR

— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) February 25, 2022

In reference to the report that Rodgers wanted to be the highest-paid player in the NFL, Jennings suggested that Rodgers hasn't been practicing what he preaches.

Jennings said Rodgers once told him, "Don't be that guy," in reference to Jennings trying to land a big contract. If Rodgers is indeed trying to get a huge contract in his own right, it can be argued that it flies in the face of what he allegedly told Jennings.

With that said, Rodgers is only set to make $27.490 million in 2022, per Spotrac, which is extremely low considering what he brings to the table.

The 38-year-old veteran is the two-time defending NFL MVP and a four-time MVP overall, plus a 10-time Pro Bowler and one-time Super Bowl champion.

He has also led the Packers to 13 wins in each of the past three seasons, although they have fallen short of the Super Bowl each time.

Even so, Rodgers gives the Packers the best opportunity to win a championship, and if he does want more money despite what he told McAfee, it is fair to say he deserves it.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is reportedly hoping to become the highest-paid player in the NFL. 

While speaking Thursday on The Rich Eisen Show, ESPN's Dianna Russini reported that "from the conversations I've had with a lot of people in the league, he wants to be the highest-paid player in the NFL—by a wide margin.

"So we're talking about 50 million a year."

Russini reported earlier Thursday that Rodgers "will be informing the Packers of his decision soon." She added that "multiple teams" have offers ready for the veteran quarterback. 

Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst told reporters Wednesday that he and Rodgers agreed last summer to reevaluate his future with the franchise ahead of the 2022 campaign. However, Gutekunst never promised the reigning MVP a trade. 

Gutekunst also said Wednesday that Rodgers' situation would need to be worked out before the team can make any other moves this offseason. 

He told reporters:

Obviously everything around here centers around the quarterback. That's kind of how we do things. It's a big piece. It's a domino that has to fall before we go down other avenues. So it's important as we go through this and the puzzle pieces that we got to make fit. That's the first one to go. … There's some timing elements to things. We've had really good conversations with Aaron and everybody throughout the process.

Rodgers' future in Green Bay has been up in the air since before the 2021 season began. He fueled trade rumors on Monday by thanking the Packers and his teammates in a lengthy Instagram post. 

Aaron Rodgers just posted this message and 10+ photos on his Instagram 👀 pic.twitter.com/DjYuiNnayo

— Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) February 22, 2022

However, he put an end to that speculation that his Green Bay tenure was over by saying Tuesday on The Pat McAfee Show that he is still undecided on his future with the franchise and in the NFL.

"There will be no decision on my future today" ~@AaronRodgers12#PMSLive pic.twitter.com/TlNG5x3th5

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) February 22, 2022

Rodgers, who is under contract through 2022 and can opt out of his 2023 season, has spent his entire 17-year career in Green Bay and won his fourth MVP award as a member of the franchise after an outstanding 2021 season in which he completed 68.9 percent of his passes for 4,115 yards and 37 touchdowns against four interceptions. 

If Rodgers were to move on from Green Bay ahead of the 2022 season, it's unclear where he might end up. However, there are several teams in need of a quarterback change, including the Denver Broncos, Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

At this point in the 2022 offseason, the dominant storyline around the NFL is the possibility that big-name quarterbacks such as Houston's Deshaun Watson, Seattle's Russell Wilson and Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers could change teams.

None would send bigger shock waves across the National Football League than a megadeal involving Rodgers.

Just the notion that a two-time defending MVP could be dealt is hard to wrap one's head around.

Of course, there's no guarantee that Rodgers, who passed for 4,115 yards, 37 touchdowns and just four interceptions in 2021 on the way to a 13-4 record and his fourth MVP award, will go anywhere. Per ESPN's Rob Demovsky, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst recently insisted that no promises were made last season that if Rodgers—who is still under contract through 2022—wanted out that he'd get that wish.

"That was not something I told him," Gutekunst said. "Again, I think the whole conversation with Aaron last season before he came back was that, regardless, at the end of this past season, that we would sit down as a group, and we would work it out one way or another."

Still, speculation ramped up again over the past week or so after the 38-year-old Rodgers posted a cryptic thank-you message on Instagram that some interpreted as a goodbye. However, Rodgers told The Pat McAfee Show (h/t Demovsky) after the uproar regarding that post that he has yet to make a decision regarding a trade request:

"You've got to kind of turn everything else off, so you're not working out, you're not straining or anything. It's kind of a re-centering. It not only heals you physically, but I think it takes away mental stress and then the spiritual part I think is it allows you to kind of enjoy the meditations a little more, so when I come out, my first thought is intense gratitude for the people in my life."

On Thursday, Demovsky's colleague Dianna Russini tweeted that sources informed her of a couple of things regarding Rodgers. The first was that a decision from the 17-year veteran regarding his playing status for 2022 is expected soon.

Aaron Rodgers will be informing the Packers of his decision soon, per league sources. I’m told there are multiple teams with offers on the table but of course, nothing can happen until the Green Bay Packers allow a trade.

— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) February 24, 2022

The second was that Gutekunst already has multiple offers on the table.

That last part set off a wave of speculation almost as big as the one that came after Rodgers' goodbye-that-wasn't. Which teams have already pushed chips into the middle of the table? And perhaps even more importantly, how big are those stacks of chips?

The thing is, it doesn't take that much speculation to identify multiple franchises that could be looking to add Rodgers. Or to identify the staggering price that might be required to pry him away from the Pack, barring his retirement.

        

Offer No. 1: Players and Picks

Denver Broncos receive: Rodgers, 2022 fourth-round pick

Packers receive: 2022 first-round pick, 2022 second-round pick, 2023 first-round pick, 2023 fourth-round pick, WR Jerry Jeudy, QB Drew Lock

This trade would make new Las Vegas Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels question his life decisions.

It's no secret that the Broncos are desperate to get better at quarterback—it's a search that has been going on from the moment Peyton Manning rode off into the sunset after Super Bowl 50. So far, that search has been mostly a mess.

Trading for Rodgers cleans up that mess and then some—and transforms the Broncos from AFC West also-ran to legitimate Super Bowl contender in the blink of an eye.

Even after Jeudy's disappointing second season, losing the talented young wide receiver, who is still on his rookie deal, would be a tough pill to swallow. But with Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick and KJ Hamler in tow, it's a hit the team can absorb. Per Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports, there was speculation a year ago that Green Bay was looking to get three first-rounders for Rodgers.

Packaging Jeudy with Denver's next two firsts essentially fulfills that requirement, and there's a Day 2 pick this year and Lock (who could push Jordan Love or at least back him up in 2022) thrown in for good measure. Adding Jeudy could also allow the Packers to potentially franchise-tag-and-trade Davante Adams for more draft capital.

Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City. Justin Herbert in Los Angeles. And Rodgers in Denver.

Talk about a Murderer's Row of AFC West quarterbacks.

              

Offer No. 2: Even More Picks!

Miami Dolphins receive: Rodgers, 2023 fourth-round pick

Green Bay Packers receive: 2022 first-round pick (via SF), 2022 second-round pick, 2023 first-round pick, 2023 first-round pick (via SF), 2023 third-round pick

The Dolphins aren't bad—Miami posted a winning record each of the past two seasons and won 10 games in 2020. Head coach Mike McDaniel has some things to work with as he takes the reins on South Beach.

What the Dolphins do not have (with all due respect to Tua Tagovailoa) is an elite quarterback—and the team's limitations at the position cap its ceiling.

Miami has the draft capital to make the Packers an intriguing offer, as last year's Trey Lance trade leaves the team in possession of two first-rounders in 2023. The cap space is also there as well—per Over the Cap, Miami's $60.2 million in wiggle room leads the league, and a restructure and/or cut or two could free up significantly more. The Dolphins could also then flip Tagovailoa to another quarterback-needy team to get back some lost draft capital.

To be fair, that lost capital is significant. Five picks, all on the draft's first two days—including three first-rounders over the next two seasons. It's essentially an instant rebuild for the Packers—the opportunity to remake the franchise around Love in short order.

Also, of the three teams listed here, it can be argued that Miami is the most attractive destination of the lot for Rodgers—a playoff-caliber roster in a major media market that features warm weather in a state with no income tax.

Don't think for a moment those factors don't matter.

        

Offer No. 3: The Godfather

Philadelphia Eagles receive: Rodgers, 2022 fourth-round pick

Green Bay Packers receive: 2022 first-round pick (via MIA), 2022 first-round pick (via IND), 2022 third-round pick, 2023 first-round pick, 2023 second-round pick, 2023 fourth-round pick

To be clear, there's a reason the Eagles are the first (and only) NFC team listed in this piece—and probably the least likely of the three to pull off a trade for Rodgers. Trading the reigning MVP would be a dark enough day for Gutekunst and the Pack. Trading (arguably) the best quarterback in franchise history to a team that then bounces you from the NFC playoffs is not conducive to job security.

The less the Packers see of No. 12 after a potential divorce, the better.

However, the Eagles are also in position to make Green Bay the kind of offer that no other NFL team can. With three picks in the top 20 in the 2022 draft alone, the Eagles can turbocharge a rebuild in Green Bay.

For the Eagles, Rodgers offers a franchise that made the playoffs last year a massive upgrade at the game's most important position. The Eagles could make a knee-buckler of an offer to Green Bay and still have a top-20 pick with which to add an impact player. If third-year quarterback Jalen Hurts becomes expendable, there will be multiple teams interested in acquiring him, allowing the Eagles a chance to recoup some of those losses.

And if Philly is certain that Rodgers is the missing piece in a championship puzzle, the team could in theory offer Green Bay three Round 1 picks in the same draft.

That would blow just about every other potential offer out of the water. 

Aaron Rodgers reportedly won't keep the Green Bay Packers waiting for an answer about his future much longer.

Per ESPN's Dianna Russini, Rodgers will inform the Packers of his decision "soon," and multiple teams have already made trade offers.

Russini noted "nothing can happen" regarding a trade until the Packers allow it.

Following Green Bay's 13-10 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Divisional Round on Jan. 22, Rodgers told reporters he would "take some time and have conversations with the folks around here, and then take some time away and make a decision" before the start of free agency.

Speculation about Rodgers' future picked up Tuesday when he posted a series of pictures on Instagram with friends and teammates, along with a caption expressing gratitude for many of his Packers teammates. 

During his weekly appearance on The Pat McAfee Show later that day (h/t Yahoo's Jason Duaine Hahn), Rodgers said the Instagram post was just meant to express "gratitude" after he finished a 12-day cleanse. 

Rodgers didn't have an announcement about his future on the show, but he did say his exit meetings with Packers management after the season ended "were much different than they've been in the past in a positive way, and that there were some real, honest conversations that I appreciated."

Green Bay, which is $37.4 million over the salary cap, is taking steps just to get even with the cap. 

Per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero (h/t NFL.com's Kevin Patra), Kenny Clark restructured his deal to clear $10.8 million in cap space. 

ESPN's Field Yates reported Thursday that the Packers created $3.08 million in cap space by turning a portion of Aaron Jones' 2022 salary into a signing bonus and adding two voidable years to his deal. 

Amid his apparent unhappiness with the team last offseason, Rodgers signed a reworked contract in July that voided the 2023 season and removed forfeiture provisions that prevent the Packers from pursuing prorated portions of his signing bonus. 

Rodgers will enter the final season of his current deal in 2022. 

Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst told reporters Wednesday he never promised to trade Rodgers after the 2021 season if the four-time NFL MVP wants to play for another organization in 2022.

"Those are some hypotheticals that I don't think we're going to go down those roads right now," Gutekunst said.

Rodgers has spent his entire 17-year career with the Packers since being drafted in 2005. He won his fourth career MVP award—and second straight—in 2021. The 38-year-old threw for 4,115 yards and 37 touchdowns against only four interceptions in 16 starts last season. 

The Packers have had the best regular-season record in the NFC in each of the past two seasons, but they have lost in the playoffs before reaching the Super Bowl.     

Aaron Rodgers' future with the Green Bay Packers is still up in the air, and it remains possible that he requests to be traded from the team.

But the path to a potential deal involving the star quarterback became murky when Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst told reporters that he never promised to trade Rodgers after the 2021 season.

"Those are some hypotheticals that I don't think we're going to go down those roads right now," Gutekunst said when asked about Rodgers potentially requesting a trade.

Per ESPN's Rob Demovsky, it was "widely believed that Rodgers and the Packers had a handshake agreement that if the reigning MVP still wanted out after the 2021 season they would trade him." Gutekunst further said that he never agreed to anything of the sort, and he had always intended to figure things out mutually after the season:

"That was not something I told him. Again, I think the whole conversation with Aaron last season before he came back was that, regardless, at the end of this past season, that we would sit down as a group and we would work it out one way or another."

While a potential deal for Rodgers would likely land a massive haul of draft picks in return, Gutekunst said his preference would be to retain the reigning NFL MVP. The same goes for star wide receiver Davante Adams, who is set to become a free agent next month.

When asked why he wouldn't want to trade Rodgers, Gutekunst replied, "Because I think we've got as good a shot as anybody to win a Super Bowl next year. He's the MVP of the league. That's our goal. I think we have an opportunity to do it right now. That's why."

On Tuesday, Rodgers told Pat McAfee that he had yet to make a decision on his future. He put out a lengthy Instagram post Monday thanking his teammates and the Packers organization.

Gutekunst said there will be no pressure from the front office for Rodgers to make his decision, but he acknowledged that the team can't address other areas until it knows what he plans on doing.

"Obviously everything around here kind of centers on the quarterback," Gutekunst said. "It's a big piece and a domino that kind of has to fall before we go down the other avenues. So it's important as we go through this and the puzzle pieces we have to try to make fit. That's the first one to go."

The Green Bay Packers have restructured defensive tackle Kenny Clark's contract, creating $10.9 million worth of cap space, according to Field Yates of ESPN.

Clark had signed a four-year, $70 million extension in 2020. The new deal converts $13.6 million of the 2022 salary into a signing bonus and adds two void years. The 26-year-old was set to have a cap hit of $20.9 million for the upcoming season, per Spotrac.

Green Bay still has work to do, entering the day $48.6 million over the 2022 cap. Only the New Orleans Saints ($76.2 million) have a worse situation.

The Packers' cap situation is especially interesting with Aaron Rodgers' future plans still unknown.

The quarterback could retire, stay with the team or force a trade, all of which would have significant ramifications on the salary cap. The reigning MVP has a $46.7 million cap hit in 2022, and the team could save $19.8 million by trading him this offseason.

Then there's top wideout Davante Adams' free-agent status.

If the two sides can't agree on a new contract—one that could cost well over $20 million per year—the Packers might use the franchise tag, which OverTheCap projects to be $19.1 million.

It puts pressure on the team to figure out plans for other players with high-priced contracts, including Clark, linebacker Za'Darius Smith and offensive tackle David Bakhtiari.

Clark, a 6'3", 314-pound anchor for the defense, earned his second career Pro Bowl selection this past season after finishing with 48 tackles and four sacks.