Packers should call 49ers to propose Aaron Rodgers’ trade
Should the Green Bay Packers trade Aaron Rodgers? What are the pros and cons of such a move? Who are realistic partners in any deal? As Green Bay is searching for answers to these questions and more, they should call the San Francisco 49ers.
The 49ers are legitimately one quarterback away from winning the Super Bowl, unlike some other teams across the NFL (I’m looking at you, New York Jets). They won the final ten games of the regular season and extended their win streak to 12 by defeating the Seattle Seahawks in the Wild Card Round and the Dallas Cowboys in the Divisional Round before falling to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship game.
All that with some guy named Brock Purdy at quarterback: Imagine what they could do with a four-time MVP.
If the Green Bay Packers are looking to trade Aaron Rodgers this offseason, they should give the San Francisco 49ers a call.
San Francisco has some major decisions to make at quarterback this offseason. The position held them back from winning the Super Bowl, as they sport elite players at several key spots across the roster and have one of the best teams in the NFL.
For starters, Jimmy Garoppolo is a free agent, removing the $27.3 million average cap hit he cost the team from 2018-2021. That will free up significant space for San Francisco, as Trey Lance and Purdy are still on their rookie deals.
Speaking of Lance, he suffered a season-ending ankle injury way back in Week 2 and there’s no saying when he’ll be ready physically. In his short stint at the helm, he wasn’t all that impressive, but the team likely has confidence in him moving forward.
Purdy also has a major recovery ahead of him, as he suffered a complete UCL tear in the NFC Championship game and will require surgery. He’s predicted to be out for at least six months.
The 49ers could look to buy their young quarterbacks more time to not only get healthy, but also learn the NFL game. That’s where the Packers and Rodgers come in.
Green Bay should be on the phone with San Francisco, trying to make a deal for Rodgers. Kyle Shanahan tried to trade for Rodgers in 2021, sparking uproar from Packers’ head coach Matt LaFleur. Rodgers took a step back in 2022, but would have a much-improved supporting cast in San Francisco.
If Rodgers plays for two more years, he would give Lance and Purdy time to come around and improve their game for the long term. He’s also open to renegotiating his contract to lower the cap hit for all parties involved. Furthermore, he grew up a 49ers fan and could be open to staying in California all year round and winning one for his home team.
The difficult part for Green Bay will be finding a deal that satisfies them. San Francisco doesn’t own a first or second round pick in 2023 due to the Lance and Christian McCaffrey trades, respectively.
Based on how the NFL hands out compensatory selections, they could have up to three third-round picks this year. They also have their top four picks in 2024 and 2025 if Green Bay wants to go that far in the future.
Next. Packers 2023 offseason to do list. dark
It’s definitely a risk based on the lack of immediate draft capital available from San Francisco; however, it’s a call the Packers should make to evaluate all of their options in a potential Rodgers trade.