Aaron Rodgers has mulled retirement the past few offseasons, and at age 39, this figures to be the protocol for the star quarterback after every season until he finally hangs them up.
It’s tough to knock Rodgers for taking this approach, but it could make a trade out of Green Bay this offseason all the more difficult.
The Packers reportedly prefer to trade the four-time MVP this spring, and given the state of the franchise, Rodgers probably should think about an NFL life outside of Lambeau Field. The future Hall of Fame signal-caller figures to have a very robust market if Green Bay makes him available — especially after Tom Brady’s retirement — but the burdens of trying Rodgers extends beyond his expensive contract.
“Aaron Rodgers’ year-to-year approach to playing could complicate trade talks for the Green Bay Packers, several execs say, because it’s hard to trade hefty capital for just one year of Rodgers,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote. “Teams would prefer at least two seasons with him. One NFC exec floated a solution: Green Bay could make the draft picks conditional, with a sliding scale based on how long Rodgers plays. For example, a second-round pick turns into a first-rounder if Rodgers doesn’t retire after one year. It would take out some of the guesswork.”
Assurances help, but some quarterback-needy teams might not be too concerned about the risk of trading for Rodgers. A win-now team like the New York Jets might only care about making a run at Super Bowl LVIII.
