The most important question right now for Aaron Rodgers is the same it was eight or nine months ago: What exactly do you want?
The Green Bay Packers quarterback might not have the chance to lose another NFC Championship Game this weekend, but he remains in the NFL’s news cycle as rumors and speculation run wild about his future. For now, he is a Packer who is under contract to play in Green Bay next season. Whether that actually happens is a giant mystery at this point, though.
News out of Denver on Thursday morning actually makes it feel like a return to the Packers is the least likely scenario at the moment. The Broncos reportedly hired Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, a man for whom Rodgers has had effusive praise during their time together. The assumption, and it’s hard to refute, is that Denver hired Hackett either to lure Rodgers to Mile High or perhaps because it’s already a done deal.
Rodgers’ discontent with the Packers came to a head in the spring when his camp infamously leaked his trade demands on draft night. Those attempts proved to be futile. The Packers didn’t blink, and Rodgers had no choice but to report and play. He played well, too, with another MVP trophy likely in his future. When the playoffs rolled around, though, he fell flat and Green Bay was done after one ugly loss — despite owning the NFC’s No. 1 seed.
But if you’re looking at things through Rodgers’ eyes, it’s hard to see how departing Green Bay puts you in a better position to win that elusive second Super Bowl — especially if Denver is your next stop.
The Broncos’ roster is undeniably talented. They have a strong, young defensive core that was quite stout for much of 2021, even after trading franchise cornerstone Von Miller. What should really catch Rodgers’ eye is the talent amassed on the offensive side of the ball. A revamped offensive line anchors that side of the ball, and a stable of skill players featuring the likes of Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, K.J. Hamler, Noah Fant and Javonte Williams must be tantalizing. With anything resembling above-average quarterback play, the Broncos might have made the playoffs.
But here’s the thing: The Packers already have everything the Broncos have, and they have it arguably better. The Green Bay defense is on the rise, even with some difficult salary decisions looming. The pieces are in place for it to be an elite unit. Offensively, there might not be a better two-headed rushing attack than Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon. The pass-catchers, assuming Davante Adams is extended or tagged, are very good, too — as good or better than Denver.
The real wild card, of course, is the division. Rodgers and the Packers have owned the NFC North and all the teams in it for the majority of his career. If anything, the vast discrepancy between the Packers and everyone else has grown with rebuilds underway in Chicago and Minnesota while the Lions remain the Lions. Going to the Broncos would mean matriculating to the AFC West where Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert will live for years to come. And even if you get by those guys, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow and even Bill Belichick are gunning for you.
Green Bay’s salary cap situation is admittedly murky, but the Packers don’t sound overly concerned.
Sure, Rodgers could ultimately end up in Pittsburgh or Indianapolis, yet none of those teams give him the chance to win he has in Green Bay. But the path to Denver looks very clear, and if Rodgers is still hellbent on divorcing the Packers, there are agreements in place to make it happen.
But forcing his way out of Green Bay would be a telling move for Rodgers. The Packers remain his best chance at another Super Bowl, so turning his back on the only franchise he’s known would at worst be a tacit admission winning championships isn’t the top priority at this point in his career.
Given what we know about the notoriously self-centered legend, though, that wouldn’t be a huge surprise.
