In wake of the Broncos landing their new head coach, many already are banking on Aaron Rodgers taking his talents to Denver.
Denver on Wednesday night reportedly hired Nathaniel Hackett, who served as the Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator the last three seasons. Rodgers on several occasions has vocalized how highly he thinks of Hackett and the Mile High City should be an attractive quarterback destination for a variety of reasons.
But if you ask former NFL signal-caller Dan Orlovsky, Rodgers should pick a team other than the Broncos if he plans to force his way out of Green Bay.
"Going to Denver is a death sentence," Orlovsky said Thursday on ESPN's "First Take." "I mean, you're going into the division with the guy that has been in the last four AFC Championship Games in Patrick Mahomes. You're going into a division that's got Justin Herbert in it. You're going into a conference that's got a guy that's playing this weekend in the AFC Championship Game in Joe Burrow. You're also going into a conference that has a guy who threw for 400 yards and four touchdowns and lost last weekend in Josh Allen and then a guy who won the MVP of the league three years ago in Lamar Jackson.
"So I just think the AFC, because of their young, superstar quarterbacks, if you're sitting there and you're Aaron Rodgers going, 'Where's the best chance for me to win a Super Bowl?' It's not in Denver. It's more than likely in Green Bay. But I don't think it's down to those teams either. I think if Aaron doesn't want to play in Green Bay, it's not Denver or nobody."
The AFC is poised to be a gauntlet for years to come, but Rodgers might have to test his luck there if he wants out of Green Bay that badly. Rodgers is under contract for the 2022 season, so he and the Packers would need to come to some sort of agreement if he wants to move on this offseason. If you're Green Bay, why would you trade one of the game's best QBs within your own conference?
And if it's AFC or bust for Rodgers this spring, the Broncos undoubtedly make the most sense.
