The San Francisco 49ers have officially missed the boat on Aaron Rodgers, but their backup plan could still be out there.
Aaron Rodgers is officially going to play for the New York Jets in 2023. He has officially been spotted in Jets garb and is in the facility to talk to the media on Wednesday. With that, the short-lived dream of Rodgers coming home to play for his hometown team, the San Francisco 49ers, has probably ended for good.
Rodgers is more likely to retire than to play for another NFL team outside of the Jets, considering he admitted this offseason that he considered putting his cleats up for good.
The Niners, though, might have another trick up their sleeve in the quarterback department…
49ers might already have a backup plan in mind for Aaron Rodgers
The Niners have to put the Aaron Rodgers dream to bed, officially. Though it looked like there might have been a late crack on the negotiations between New York and Green Bay, the trade went through.
They might have an alternative option…
Dan Patrick reported on his show that he heard the Niners kicked the tires on a Lamar Jackson trade.
49ers Explored A Trade for QB Lamar Jackson pic.twitter.com/GuFcBdu2mb
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"“I was told this yesterday: The Niners have monitored everything including Lamar Jackson. The’ve explored that or at least looked at it, they kicked the tires on that,” Patrick said."
Jackson has yet to sign the franchise tag that the Baltimore Ravens gave him. This essentially leaves his future up for grabs, and means he could still realistically get moved before the 2023 season kicks off.
Right now, the Niners roster emerging newcomer Brock Purdy (who will miss the start of the season due to injury) and Trey Lance at quarterback. It feels as though Lance has been pushed to the wayside with the emergence of Purdy, and there’s a chance he gets traded.
Clearly, the Niners didn’t feel compelled enough to go hard at Jackson when they initially kicked the tires. But who is to say they can’t go back? He would be a great addition in San Francisco, but admittedly would put a damper on the exciting possibilities we got to see with Purdy late last season. Jackson would immediately become the team’s franchise quarterback of the future, relegating Purdy to a seat on the bench.
Jackson also sent off a cryptic Tweet Tuesday night. Let the sparks fly!