Top 3 Reasons To Trade Aaron Rodgers

There’s a lot of news and rumors flying around about Aaron Rodgers, what he’s thinking, and where he might end up.

Unless he retires, the Packers either have to keep him or trade him. Yes, Rodgers will have some say in what happens, since he could refuse to report to the Packers or any other team, but for now, let’s focus on the Packers thought process.

Here are the top reasons why the Packers should trade him:

1. They haven’t made it to the Super Bowl with him in over a decade: This is not (as some sensational media and social media personalities may try to convince you) all the fault of Aaron Rodgers. Winning is an incredibly difficult thing to do in the NFL and it takes an entire team of players, coaches, and front office staff to accomplish. For a number of reasons, things haven’t lined up with Aaron Rodgers in that mix. At some point, maybe it’s time to stop banging your head against the wall and try a different approach. Maybe a run-first offense with a dynamic pair of complementary backs, paired with a rejuvenated defense, and a special teams unit under new leadership, would yield better results.
2. His value will never be higher: He’s a back-to-back reigning MVP Quarterback with a Super Bowl MVP on his resume. Go check the history of how often guys like that are ever available. Then look at what a guy like Matt Stafford – with a far less impressive resume and skillset – was able to garner on the trade market last year. Plus, Rodgers is in a very cheap contract year. A team acquiring him would only have to pay for his $25M base salary, which is insanely low for a player of his caliber. This makes him very appealing to a team that has all the pieces in place and just needs a quarterback, like the 2019 Buccaneers.
3. This is their last chance to trade him: After this year, his contract with the Packers is up. He would be a free agent and the Packers would have no leverage to do any sort of sign and trade deal. If they tried to push the envelope and franchise him, he would certainly rebel and refuse to report. If they want to trade him, they have to do it this year. The end of his career is nearing. The Packers could let him play things out and retire… or they could get some draft picks and potentially some future stars that could help the team win more in the future.

Here’s the kicker: the Packers have a crazy cap situation to deal with this year. If Rodgers was moved, he would basically cut their deficit in half. If they’re going to roll with Jordan Love, they won’t have to pay a replacement cost and will be in a better position to keep the rest of the team together. Buffing the roster with cheap rookies from the draft picks they would get would also go a long way in healing the salary cap.