The King Who Could have Ruled the 49ers: Aaron Rodgers
"I take rejection as someone blowing a bugle in my ear to wake me up and get going, rather than retreat." - Sylvester Stallone
It is a beautiful Saturday in August. Everyone is gathered in Canton, Ohio for the induction ceremony of the Pro Football Hall of Fame 2027 class. The football legend Brett Favre is at the podium introducing first-ballot Hall of Famer and fellow Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers walks onto the stage. All the guests are inspired to discover what Rodgers has to say. To surprise the crowd gathered in Canton, Rodgers starts his hall of fame speech saying;
"On this occasion, I have many people to thank. First, let me start with the San Francisco 49ers."
Ever wanted to roam on Highway 99? If you do, visit Chico. It's a great city, the home of Chico State University. The Bidwell Park is the crown jewel for nature lovers. You can visit Oroville Dam, the tallest dam in the United States, which you probably did not know. During the spring, North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve is magical with wildflowers.
Why do we have to learn about Chico?
It is the hometown of Aaron Charles Rodgers, who would arguably list as a top-five quarterback ever to play the game.
Rodgers is a California kid. Until he got drafted by the Green Bay Packers in 2005, he played football in California. After a year at Butte Community college, he transferred to the University of California, Berkeley. On the 23rd of April 2005, if the San Francisco 49ers drafted Rodgers as the No. 1 pick, it would have been a complete story.
But it did not occur. The 49ers selected Alex Smith as their future signal-caller, and we all know how the day progressed. The tale of Rodgers' humiliation has been discussed over many nights. Let us not discuss that story, but a different one.
In this offseason, Rodgers made headlines with his deteriorating relationship with the Packers. The starting quarterback is visibly frustrated, seeing the organization showing no interest in handing him more offensive weapons. The revelation made 49ers fans nervous. Just fancy a Rodgers and Kyle Shanahan union, which would have sent shock waves across the NFL universe. But that imagination accompanied with a question.
"Would Rodgers come back to California?"
That question comes with guilt, anger, and sadness. You can understand the helplessness any 49ers fan goes through when evaluating that they could have drafted the future Hall of Famer. In the same way, Rodgers might still have some bitterness over the treatment he got in front of national television as a 21-year old.
The 49ers are notoriously famous for passing on history-altering quarterbacks. They did not draft Tom Brady even though he grew up within a short distance to Candlestick Park. You can pardon the 49ers for not drafting Brady -- even Bill Belichick did not know what Brady would become. If he did know, Brady would be the first round New England Patriots pick. Belichick is a coaching genius but lucked out drafting Brady.
Should Rodgers feel betrayed by the team he supported as a kid growing up?
To find the answer, let's alter the history for a moment. What if the 49ers drafted Rodgers with their No. 1 pick? It would mean Rodgers would get to start in his rookie year. Some might think that the 49ers would have become an overnight powerhouse in the NFC West. But the truth is distant from that.
In his 2017 interview with Graham Bensinger, the former 49ers quarterback Alex Smith openly discussed the situation he stepped into after being drafted No. 1. The team with the first pick is the one that finished last. The 49ers finished with a disastrous 2 -14 record in 2004. Mike Nolan took over as the head coach in 2005.
Smith described 49ers as a "dysfunctional" organization. The 49ers had three different head coaches, five defensive coordinators, and seventeen starting wide receivers between 2005 to 2010. Even with Rodgers, the circumstances would not have been any better. If you dispute that, compare what the Houston Texans achieved with Deshaun Watson performing at an elite level in 2020.
In Watson's case, he ultimately requested a trade as the frustrations mounted. It would be best to remember Alex Smith had enormous pressure from the 49ers fans and the legends. Smith openly discussed Jerry Rice publicly questioning whether the young quarterback is the proper choice for the organization. At the same time, 49ers fans showed their disappointment loud and clear. You would be ashamed when you learn that Smith preferred to play road games rather than at the Candlestick.
People would debate that Rodgers is not soft. But he would not take all the negativity that went around the 49ers. In contrast, Smith always tried not to escalate things to the next level. He took as much as tolerable. Rodgers is not made in the same mold. Just check what is going on with the Packers and him. If Rodgers had to experience the dysfunctional environment in that period, by 2010, he would have requested a trade to go somewhere else.
Let us pretend Rodgers stayed until Jim Harbaugh entered the frame. The immediate thought would be that Rodgers would win three Super bowls in a row. Leading into the 2011 NFC championship game, Alex Smith was in good form after an impressive performance against New Orleans Saints. Kyle Williams made one blunder after another, which cost the game for the 49ers. The very next year, Smith started with a 6 - 2 record and had a concussion. He never got his job back and helplessly watched from the sidelines when the 49ers lost the Super Bowl to Ravens led by Joe Flacco. Still, Smith had to go out for the toss as the team captain. That was humiliation at its best. Yet being a team man over himself, Smith did not make any complaints. Would Rodgers take all that and stay in San Francisco?
It is frustrating to miss out on the Hall of Fame quarterback, but the reality is that the 49ers would have most likely converted Rodgers' remarkable career to a mediocre one. In his first season as the starter, Rodgers finished with a 6 - 10 record. But Green Bay kept their faith in California kid, whom they trusted over Brett Favre. Eventually, Rodgers cemented his place as a Packers legend leading them to the fourth Super Bowl win of the organization in 2010.
In reality, no one can come to a definitive conclusion on a "what if" scenario unless science can overcome physics with time travel. All we are left to do is to calculate the best reasonable result.
Rodgers ended up in the right place for him. The San Francisco 49ers could not have provided a smooth sailing for the signal-caller.
Any rejection in life is challenging to handle, especially if it was your dream. The truth is that sometimes getting denied can lead to more significant opportunities. Destiny took Rodgers to the place where he belongs. If he has any resentment about the 49ers for not drafting him, it is time for forgiveness.
Dear Rodgers, please do thank the 49ers for not making your professional career a mess. The 49ers missed out, but football won.
