Why the Indianapolis Colts should NOT trade for Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Rodgers and his next destination are a hot topic as the NFL offseason kicks off. Rodgers and the Packers are expected to split this offseason, and Green Bay is believed to be ready to move on to Jordan Love. If Rodgers decides to continue playing football and avoid retirement, the Packers are expected to aid the long-time QB in finding his next home.
A team that keeps being mentioned as a landing spot for the four-time MVP is the Indianapolis Colts. Indy has been on a never-ending quarterback carousel, and the team desperately hopes to end the search.
So why shouldn’t the Colts make the trade for Rodgers?
1. The Shane Steichen era has begun.
Indianapolis just completed an extensive coaching search and recently named former Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen as the team’s new head coach. Steichen has an outstanding resume, including leading the high-powered Eagles offense to the Super Bowl this past season.
The 37-year-old is one of the youngest coaches in the league, and it feels as if Indianapolis is headed towards a bit of a rebuild. Following the failed reclamation project of Matt Ryan, it doesn’t make sense for Indy to try their luck with a 39-year-old quarterback who’s contemplating retirement every year at this stage of his career.
2. It’s time for the Colts to select their franchise quarterback.
As said above, the Colts have been stuck with underwhelming quarterback performances since the retirement of Andrew Luck. Despite their poor showing of 4-12-1, there are some positives.
Indianapolis earned the fourth overall selection in this upcoming draft. With quarterbacks like Bryce Young, CJ Stroud, Will Levis, and even Anthony Richardson as options for Indy, this is the perfect time for the team to select their future QB. Due to Steichen’s successful development of Jalen Hurts, he is the ideal coach to bring in a rookie quarterback under.
With various options and an arsenal of draft capital at their disposal, it would not be shocking if Colts’ GM Chris Ballard traded up to guarantee his choice of talents.
3. The Colts aren’t a “win now” team.
The lackluster season coming out of Indianapolis wasn’t solely due to quarterback play. There were many weak spots on the roster that were not addressed. The regression of the offensive line can be at the top of the list of concerns. The failure to properly fill the right guard position following Mark Glowinski’s departure and the rookie woes of left tackle Bernhard Raimann were evident. As a result, star running back Jonathan Taylor took a hit as the young playmaker dealt with injuries.
The offense isn’t the only side of the ball to blame. The Colts’ defense kept them in many games they had no business being in, but outside of those, the defense had its fair share of bad moments. The secondary had little success aside from Stephon Gilmore and, at times, Isaiah Rodgers Sr. and Kenny Moore II seemed unfit for the schemes defensive coordinator Gus Bradley wanted to run, and Brandon Facyson was an easy first down for opposing teams.
That said, this Colts roster is not close to contending for a championship. The team needs more than just a stop-gap quarterback to rise back into contention.
Aaron Rodgers and the Indianapolis Colts aren’t a good fit for one another.
