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There’s a darn good chance that Aaron Rodgers has played his final game with the Green Bay Packers. Reports broke in late April that the reigning NFL MVP was not happy in Wisconsin and wants to be traded.
Said reports were followed up by suggestions that it’s more than likely Rodgers would sit out the entire 2021 season rather than play for the Packers again. Meanwhile, a recent guest host stint on “Jeopardy” could lead to a full-time job for Rodgers and a shocking retirement from the NFL at the age of 37.
The backdrop here is the presence of 2020 first-round pick Jordan Love. Due to no fault of his own, Love pretty much led to this Rodgers-related drama with the Packers when they traded up for him in April of 2020.
Interestingly enough, there’s some within Green Bay’s front office who believe that the Utah State product is not yet ready to take over for Rodgers should the future first ballot Hall of Famer not remain with the team. It’s in this that the Packers are looking at quarterbacks right now. Below, we look at the four-best best options.
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Green Bay Packers trade for Jimmy Garoppolo
It now seems to be an unlikely scenario that San Francisco acquired Rodgers after putting in a call to the Packers’ brass for the reigning NFL MVP. These 49ers selected Trey Lance No. 3 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft and seemingly believe that the small-school product is ready to play Day 1. If so, there’s a small chance that Jimmy Garoppolo could be had in a trade.
It’s an interesting scenario to look at for these Green Bay Packers. Garoppolo, 29, is set to count $26.38 million against the cap in 2021. However, any acquiring team could get out from said deal following next season with a mere $1.4 million dead cap hit. Despite coming off an injury-plagued 2020 campaign, the Super Bowl quarterback could be Green Bay’s best option. Remember, he put up nearly 4,000 yards with 27 touchdowns against 13 interceptions while completing 69% of his passes back in 2019. If the Packers can get him on the cheap in a trade, this could make sense.
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Green Bay Packers trade for Gardner Minshew
A cheaper alternative to Garoppolo, it appears that Minshew is on the chopping block after the Jacksonville Jaguars selected fellow quarterback Trevor Lawrence with the first pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. The addition of backup C.J. Beathard during NFL free agency adds another layer to this.
Minshew, 24, could actually be a nice stopgap option in Green Bay. He’s due to count less than $2 million against the cap over the next two seasons and has had success in a starting role early in his career. Through his first two NFL seasons, the Washington State product has thrown 37 touchdowns against 11 interceptions while completing north of 62% of his attempts. If Minshew were to play well in 2021 for the Packers, he’d then become a solid trade chip next March.
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Green Bay Packers acquire quarterback in Aaron Rodgers trade
This is the likeliest scenario should the Packers be forced to trade Rodgers. The two teams favored to land him in a blockbuster deal have starter-caliber quarterbacks that could entice Green Bay.
For the Las Vegas Raiders, that includes three-time Pro Bowl quarterback Derek Carr. He could come in as a stopgap option in 2021 before being traded next March to pave the way for Love. Meanwhile, Denver Broncos signal caller Drew Lock would compete with Love for the starting job in a hypothetical trade. Either one would give the Green Bay Packers an alternative to the greenish former first-round pick over the short term.