Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine has revealed what the popular sports pundit believes are realistic trade packages for rosters. Let’s go through each of them and grade them based on likelihood and how they benefit the Green Bay Packers.
- New York Jets
- Packers Receive: 2023 second-round pick (No. 44 overall), 2023 fourth-round pick (No. 113 overall), 2025 conditional second-round pick (becomes a first if Rodgers plays in 2024)
- Jets Receive: Aaron Rodgers
- Benefit to the Packers Grade: C-
- This doesn’t benefit the Green Bay Packers that much, so I don’t really like it. Best (realistic) case scenario, the Packers get a mid-second-round pick, a mid- fourth-round pick, and a low first round-pick.
- Likelihood: Possibly, but not likely
- There is a good chance that Rodgers could end up on the Jets. They just hired Nathaniel Hackett as their offensive coordinator, and he held that same position for the Packers when Rodgers won his last two MVPs. Both had bad years in 2022, with Rodgers regressing and Hackett getting fired as head coach of the Broncos before he could even finish the season, but this could help both. I just don’t see how the Packers make a trade without a single first round pick guaranteed.
- Las Vegas Raiders
- Packers Receive: TE Darren Waller, 2023 second-round pick (No. 39 overall), 2025 conditional second-round pick (becomes a first if Rodgers plays in 2024)
- Jets Receive: Aaron Rodgers
- Benefit to the Packers Grade: D-
- The Packers decide to take a 30-year-old tight end and two second-round picks for their Hall of Fame quarterback? I doubt it, and I would be livid if they did.
- Likelihood: I wouldn’t bet on it
- The Raiders are desperate to get some real wins in their new city and they are currently the betting favorites to land Rodgers (even favored over the Packers themselves). So while I think that the Raiders would definitely go after Rodgers, I doubt they would trade away one of their top weapons in Darren Waller just so Rodgers can relive the glory days of having Davante Adams as his only true threat. In terms of draft capital, it’s worse than the Jets trade above so I don’t think the Packers would do it at all unless they had no other options (which they definitely do).
- Washington Commanders
- Packers Receive: 2023 first-round pick (No. 16 overall), 2023 third-round pick (No. 98 overall)
- Commanders Receive: Aaron Rodgers
- Benefit to the Packers Grade: F
- Not only would this keep Rodgers in the NFC, but they wouldn’t get any draft capital that extends to next year. The Packers almost definitely want 2024 draft capital, potentially more than 2023 draft capital, because that draft has more quarterback talent and could allow them the ability to move up for a signal caller if Love doesn’t pan out.
- Likelihood: A snowball’s chance in Hell
- There are few places that Rodgers would probably threaten retirement before going there, but Washington would most likely be one of them. He has no connections with any of the players or coaching staff. The stadium is a wreck. The ownership is incredibly toxic and under investigation by the Supreme Court. On top of all that, it seems highly unlikely that the Packers would trade Rodgers within the NFC without a massive trade package and this deal hardly seems like it fits the bill.
The problem with all these trades is the perceived value of Rodgers by B/R. Most potential trade packages for Rodgers include one first rounder, and potentially two, with some additional Day 2 selections. ProFootballTalk’s Peter King, a very respected sports journalist, suggests that the Packers are looking for multiple first-rounders in a trade deal. Meanwhile, only one of these hypothetical trades ensures a first-round pick. For a realistic breakdown of what Aaron Rodger’s actual value is closer to, check out this article.
