While there was no direct ramification of Friday’s negotiations involving the San Francisco 49ers, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Miami Dolphins, there is no need to take a giant leap to turn it into good news for fans to see Aaron Rodgers preparing for the Green Bay Packers.
The Packers front line has completed contractual maneuvers that will keep much of the team’s core intact for the next few seasons, but much has been done of the fact that nothing has been done to change the current status of the Rodgers contract, which spans the 2023 season.
Whether that means the Packers feel they haven’t had to do anything on that front yet, as Packers beat writer Tom Silverstein suggests, or because they already did in 2019, there has been a lot of speculation about Rodgers’ future in Green Bay. This was exacerbated by the non-compromising nature of the quarterback’s comments after another defeat in the NFC Championship Game.
If Rodgers’ time in Green Bay really is coming to an end, he would probably be more interested in a team that was able to race in the Super Bowl, needed a quarterback and didn’t have a young quarterback like Jordan Love breathing deeply The neck from him.
The Las Vegas Raiders, the New England Patriots and the 49ers have already been cited.
So how does Friday’s news come into play?
With 49ers now holding selection # 3 in the 2021 draft, the consensus is that the team will choose a defender. Whether it’s Justin Fields, Trey Lance, Zach Wilson or someone else, it’s irrelevant here – that player will be young and talented. And with Jimmy Garoppolo not moving anywhere – at least not yet – it would not be the most attractive situation for Rodgers to go to San Francisco.
The 49ers was one of the teams that I feared could get Rodgers’ attention, speaking like a Packers fan. The combination of playing for the team he supported as a child, along with one of the best offensive minds in the game, Kyle Shanahan, seemed a perfect match for a potential final act when Rodgers was 40. With a likely No. 3 overall selection now in the fold, this pair’s chances should have decreased.
Let’s take it a step further and say that the 49ers part ways with Jimmy G. The incredibly popular landing site for Garoppolo is back with Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots. This meeting probably makes a lot of sense to actually happen, but could that get the Patriots off the table and into Rodgers’ swan song?
Were Rodgers’ chances of going to San Francisco or New England realistic? It is impossible to predict the future, but there are only a finite number of options if he leaves Green Bay. The vast majority of these options would never be possible, whether due to a team not needing a defender so soon (Kansas City, Buffalo), having a potential young breeder (Chargers, Bengals, Jacksonville?) Or weren’t they going to be competitive enough to catch your eye (ahem, Detroit).
There are only 31 teams in the league that are not called Green Bay Packers. Although it only took one to hire Rodgers, it would have to be the right situation for him. And after Friday, a team like San Francisco becomes less of a threat to steal Rodgers towards the end of his career.