5 teams who would happily take Aaron Rodgers off the Packers hands

Let’s indulge in the infectiously stupid idea that the Packers want to move on from Aaron Rodgers, mainly because the team isn’t doing itself any favors this offseason.

With a now 37-year-old Aaron Rodgers coming off an MVP season, the Green Bay Packers are in an urgent window to win now. The front office apparently still hasn’t gotten that memo, using their first three picks in the 2020 draft on players who won’t help now and staying out of the fray in free agency yet again. Re-signing running back Aaron Jones doesn’t really count.

All of this has kicked up dust on the idea of the Packers moving on from Rodgers in the near future. It needs to be said that they probably won’t move on but Tom Brady leaving New England was insane until it wasn’t. Either way, it’s fun to talk about and while it may make our brains hurt the Packers are doing absolutely no favors for themselves. They have the lighter fluid and matches to burn the rumor mill down, yet refuse at every turn to do it.

The Packers could restructure Rodgers’ contract to open up space in this cap-crunched year, but by doing so would also give him (and the internet) a sign they’re committed to him long-term. Instead, they’ve paid his $6.8 million roster bonus outright without a move to restructure. From a cap perspective it makes sense for the team, as they won’t create future dead money. But the optics only blows strong winds towards the rumor mill, especially because the move keeps the door open to move on more easily, and hand 2020 first-round pick Jordan Love the reigns while he still has the bulk of his rookie contract left.

That lands us here: Rodgers is under contract through 2023 but it becomes palatable to trade him in 2022 and go with Love as he enters his third NFL season. Rodgers took over for Brett Favre in his fourth season, in a coincidental possible close parallel.

For the sake of argument, let’s create a world in which the Packers do indeed move on from Rodgers and figure out where in this alternate reality he’s playing football. Or, if you want a more real-world gritty version of this, if the Packers are stupid enough to move on from Rodgers these teams would be more than happy to help them carry out a very bad decision. 

Aaron Rodgers rumors: 5 teams that would happily help the Packers

5. Minnesota Vikings

With his $35 million 2022 base salary now fully guaranteed, the Vikings are married to Kirk Cousins for two more years. But they could trade him before June 1, 2022 (to another team on this list?), and clear that base salary off the books in saved cap space. If the team struggles this year, costing head coach Mike Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman their jobs, a new regime will surely take the opportunity to start over with a new quarterback.

A parallel with Favre exists here. After a gap year with the New York Jets in 2008, Favre spent his final two seasons (one great, and one incredibly bad) with the Vikings. Could Rodgers also finish his career in purple?