Top Landing Spots For Aaron Rodgers Next Season
With the Packers season being over, everyone is pondering where Aaron Rodgers will play next year.
With the dust settling from the Packers playoff loss this weekend, NFL fans across the nation are asking the same question, “Where will Aaron Rodgers play football next season?”. And I’m here to try and answer that burning question.
Option one for where I think Aaron Rodgers will play next year is with the Denver Broncos. Rumors swirled in the offseason about Rodgers being dealt to the Broncos, but they died down when the season started up.
Denver has the weapons at every position on offense, but are dismal at quarterback. With Cortland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, and Tim Patrick out wide, Noah Fant at tight end, and Melvin Gordon and Javonte William in the backfield, Rodgers would be able to thrive.
Now the Broncos are lacking on the offensive line, so if they trade for Rodgers they can use the ninth overall pick on an offensive lineman like Kenyon Green or Charles Cross. In addition to that, they can use their remaining cap space to target a player like Brandon Scherff, Trent Brown, or Terron Armstead.
This is a big time dream for Denver and would be a win now scenario for the Broncos. Denver would have to give up a large sum if they want the Berkley alum to throw the rock in the Mile High City.
An ideal trade package for both squads would be Denver receiving Aaron Rodgers and a 2022 fifth and seventh sounder in exchange for edge rusher Bradley Chubb, quarterback Drew Lock, a 2022 second and fourth rounder, and a 2023 third and seventh round selection.
It’s a lot to give up, but if John Elway and the Broncos want to relive the Peyton Manning magic then they’ll need to give up an arm and a leg.
The next place that I could see Rodgers playing in 2022 is in the Steel City of Pittsburgh. Much like Denver, Pittsburgh has an arsenal of young and talented weapons.
With Chase Claypool, Diontae Johnson, JuJu Smith-Schuster at wideout, Pat Freiermuth at tight end and Najee in the backfield, any quarterback would be thrilled to play in that offense. Compared to Denver, Pittsburgh has a better offensive line, but it’s not moons better.
If they’re able to hang onto their first round pick, they can use it on an offensive lineman instead of a quarterback. At twenty, the Steelers could snag a player like Trevor Penning or Sean Rhyan.
One concern for the Steelers about making a deal for Rodgers would be that he’d be coming in off the heels of an old quarterback in Big Ben. At 38, Rodgers isn’t a spring chicken, but he’s a better option than Roethlisberger.
Here’s what a trade package for Rodgers would look like though. The Steelers would have to send offensive tackle Zach Banner, edge rusher Alex Highsmith, a 2022 second a third round pick, and a 2023 second and fourth round selection in exchange for Aaron Rodgers and a 2022 fourth round pick.
It’d be an awesome addition for the Steelers if, much like Denver, they want to win now. It’s just a matter of what they want to give up.
The third city that I think Rodgers will be living in next year is Cleveland. This would be a wild move, but one that I think makes sense for both sides. Baker Mayfield underperformed this year and Browns loyalists want him gone. What many people forget is that Mayfield battled shoulder injuries this season that derailed his success.
Rodgers would have the better weapons than the two teams previously listed. He’d have Jarvis Landry, Rashard Higgins, and Donovan Peoples-Jones at receiver, Austin Hooper and Harrison Bryant at tight end, and Kareem Hunt and Nick Chubb at running back.
Now the reason that I didn’t name David Njoku is because I think he’d be packaged and shipped off to Green Bay. I believe Cleveland would send tight end David Njoku, quarterback Baker Mayfield, a 2022 second round pick, and a 2023 third and fourth round pick to Green Bay for Rodgers and a 2022 third rounder.
What makes Cleveland such an enticing destination for the aging quarterback is that they have the best offensive line in the league. When healthy, they have five players with All Pro potential at each starting position and that’s a tough thing to turn down and not want to play behind.
In addition to great weapons and a beefy offensive line, Cleveland has the thirteenth pick in the draft. They could bring in another weapon for Rodgers if he wants it like Garrett Wilson or Chris Olave, or just bolster their defense to help Rodgers out.
I love the offseason and cannot wait to see the rumors swirl about free agent signings and trades, but the bell of the ball will be Aaron Rodgers.