3 quarterbacks the Broncos could have traded for instead of Russell Wilson

1. Aaron Rodgers

In a vacuum, the Broncos’ hiring of Nathaniel Hackett as head coach after last season looks like a move made in anticipation of Rodgers being available. Or forcing his way out of Green Bay, and getting him to Denver as he could’ve picked his destination. Hackett was the Packers’ offensive coordinator from 2019-2021, the last two years of course being Rodgers’ back-to-back MVP campaigns.

With Hackett and Rodgers teaming up, the roots of an offensive system would have been transferred from Green Bay to Denver. For all the flaws Hackett has shown as a head coach in 11 games, he and Wilson have clearly never been on the same page and the quarterback has to own his half of that. Up to and including, according to at least one account just a couple weeks ago, Wilson calling out audibles he used in Seattle.

Rodgers has obviously had a rough season too, adding a ribs/oblique injury in Week 12 to a thumb injury which seems to have grown worse and worse as he has played through it. But his numbers almost across the board are still better than Russell Wilson’s, and his physical tools don’t appear to be completely gone like Wilson’s are.

Once Rodgers was going to be staying in Green Bay (at least for 2022), the Broncos may have panicked and made a quick pivot to trying to strike a deal for Wilson. Desperation is never a good position to be in, but failing to pair Hackett with Rodgers was a downer and the Broncos probably felt like they had to do something notable.

We’ll never know if it would be going a lot better with Rodgers under center in Denver this year. But it can’t be much worse than things have been with Wilson.