Potential Rodgers Trade Packages: Which Team Has Most to Offer?

If the Denver Broncos, Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans really are the teams that want Aaron Rodgers, here is a pros-and-cons look at potential trades.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers reportedly is “truly torn” on where he wants to play during the 2022 NFL season.

A Pro Football Talk report stating Rodgers and the Packers have trade conditions worked out with three teams of Rodgers’ choosing – the Denver Broncos, Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans – has come under fire. Nonetheless, if Rodgers really is “going back and forth” on where he wants to play next season, it stands to reason that he does have a solidified list of teams that want him that he is weighing.

When Rodgers returned to Green Bay just before the start of training camp last summer, it came with an agreement with general manager Brian Gutekunst that they would work together in deciding Rodgers’ future for 2022.

“The whole conversation with Aaron last season before he came back was that, regardless, at the end of this past season, that we would sit down as a group and we would work it out one way or another,” Gutekunst said last week.

Does that mean, if Rodgers wants to be traded, that he can pick his destination? Or can Gutekunst trade him wherever he desires? Or a middle ground of Gutekunst picking one of Rodgers’ preferred teams? Gutekunst didn’t say.

Using the three teams reported by Pro Football Talk, here are the pros and cons of each.

Denver Broncos

Pro for Rodgers: Nathaniel Hackett, the Packers’ offensive coordinator the past three seasons, is the new coach. They became close during their time together, and Rodgers’ career experienced a rebirth that culminated in back-to-back MVPs.

“There’s nobody in the building that brings me more joy or is more fun to be around than Nathaniel Hackett,” Rodgers said before a game against Jacksonville in 2020. “Hack has been a really important part of our culture change and a part of our success on offense. I love him. Hope he doesn’t go anywhere. Unless I do.”

Moreover, Rodgers and Hackett would know exactly what they’d want to do together on offense. The Broncos won seven games in 2021; one team executive figured they’d win at least 11 with Rodgers in 2022 because of their defense, perimeter targets and running back Javonte Williams.

Pro for Packers: The Broncos have by far the best draft package available. They have the ninth pick of the first round, Nos. 40 and 64 overall in the second round and Nos. 75 and 96 in the third round. Green Bay, remember, has No. 28 in the first round. Using the old-school trade value chart, the Packers could take No. 28 and No. 40 and move up to No. 13. Using a newer-school chart, the Packers could package those picks and get to No. 11. Could Green Bay get first- and second-round picks in this draft and a first-rounder in 2023? If so, Gutekunst would be armed with the picks to quickly reload.

The Broncos also could ship back quarterback Drew Lock, who visited Green Bay before the 2019 draft, and they’ve got a lot of young talent at receiver and corner.

Con: Rodgers has been the schoolyard bully to the rest of the NFC North. When he shouted, “I own you!” to Bears fans, he wasn’t boasting. If anything, he was underselling it. He could have shouted, “I own you! Just like I own Detroit and Minnesota!” Obviously, it’s a whole other kettle of fish with two matchups per season against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, Justin Herbert and the Chargers and Derek Carr and the Raiders.

However, while Denver went 1-5 against the AFC West last year, they beat the Chargers by 15 in November and lost by four to the Raiders and Chiefs in December.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Pro for Rodgers: The Steelers went 9-7-1 last season even with past-his-prime Ben Roethlisberger at the controls of the offense. That included sweeps of Baltimore and Cleveland and victories over the two other alleged suitors, Denver and Tennessee.

With receivers Chase Claypool and Diontae Johnson, tight end Pat Freiermuth and running back Najee Harris, Rodgers would be joining a strong group of skill-position players. Moreover, Rodgers has spoken highly of Steelers coach Mike Tomlin.

“A lot of respect. I haven’t spent time with him, but I’ve watched him from afar for a long time,” Rodgers said before the teams met in Week 4. “I just enjoy the way he talks about his players. I’ve had some friends play over there and stories are very consistent with the kind of day-to-day coach that he is. I just like his demeanor. I think he fits that Iron City perfectly and a lot of respect.”

Pro for Packers: The executive said the Steelers are the least-talented of the three teams, which would lessen the potential of Packers fans having to see Rodgers win a second Lombardi Trophy in some other team’s uniform. The Packers played the Steelers in 2021, meaning they’re not scheduled to play again until 2025. So, perhaps they’d be able to avoid the PR nightmare that could be a Rodgers vs. Love (or whoever) matchup.

Con: The Steelers own the 20th pick of the first round. Presumably, they would finish with a better record with Rodgers so a potential first-round pick in 2023 would be even worse. Moreover, while they have some elite players such as T.J. Watt, the Steelers aren’t exactly loaded with players who the Packers might covet in a trade package.

Tennessee Titans

Pro for Rodgers: Based purely on talent, you’d have to think this would be Rodgers’ preferred destination. The Titans won the No. 1 seed in the AFC last year with Ryan Tannehill at quarterback and rampaging running back Derrick Henry missing nine games and falling short of last year’s rushing production by about 1,100 yards. Henry and receiver A.J. Brown are first-class studs, and there’s enough talent on defense that a Rodgers-led offense wouldn’t have to fly solo.

Matt LaFleur was the Titans’ offensive coordinator in 2018 and the Titans still run a version of that offense, so it would be a rather seamless transition.

Pro for Packers: To make the finances work, a trade probably would have to include Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill. He did not play well in 2021 but he threw 55 touchdowns vs. 13 interceptions with a passer rating of about 110 in 2019 and 2020. Is Tannehill a great quarterback? No. But the Titans won a lot of games with him and he’d be a rather seamless fit in LaFleur’s offense. In other words, Green Bay would keep winning games.

“He does such a great job with working through his progressions, taking what the defense gives him,” LaFleur said before the teams’ December 2020 showdown. “He’s very decisive. You can tell he truly understands the rhythm and the timing of the passing game, and then when things aren’t there and stuff breaks down, he’s so athletic, he’s so fast. He can get out of the pocket and he can create.”

Con: With a guaranteed base salary of $29 million, Tannehill’s cap number in 2022 is a whopping $38.6 million. So, the Packers wouldn’t exactly be creating all sorts of cap space. Meanwhile, the Titans have the worst trade package of draft picks. They own the 26th pick of the first round and don’t have a second-round choice after acquiring Julio Jones.