Former-Packers VP: Green Bay Will Trade Aaron Rodgers in 2022
Former Green Bay Packers vice president Andrew Brandt is holding steadfast to his belief that disgruntled quarterback Aaron Rodgers will not be traded this year.
Instead, Brandt opined Wednesday, the Packers are likely to assuage Rodgers with a "contract accommodation" before parting ways in 2022.
"My Aaron Rodgers opinion update is the same as it's been all year: The Packers won't trade him in 2021," he tweeted. "Aaron can't trade himself. Aaron won't retire. Some contract accommodation- financial, length or both- will be made. The Packers will trade him in 2022."
The months-long saga between team and player remains at a stalemate: Green Bay insists Rodgers isn't going anywhere while the reigning NFL MVP (supposedly) insists he'll never play another down in Titletown.
Speaking Tuesday at "The Match" in Montana, Rodgers was cryptically noncommittal on suiting up for the Packers in the regular-season opener.
"Yeah, I don't know," he said, per TMZ. "We'll see. We'll see, won't we?"
From a financial perspective, it makes sense for Rodgers to be dealt sooner rather than later; a post-June 1 trade would clear $22.850 million in salary-cap space, leaving behind $14.352 million in dead money. Trading the then-38-year-old next offseason, pre-June 1, would net $22.648 million in savings and trigger a $17.204 million dead-cash hit.
The Broncos have $28.887 million of available cap room, second-most in the league behind Jacksonville ($32.657 million).
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler recently reported that Denver is still "monitoring" Rodgers' status and would "look into" his acquisition if dangled by the Packers. However, the club also "likes" its current QB configuration — Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater battling to start — and won't "overreact" to swing a franchise-altering deal for the future Canton-bound signal-caller.
“I’m told from the Broncos perspective that yes, they are monitoring Rodgers and whatever situation might be out there with quarterbacks, but they like their current set up,” Fowler said, via 247Sports. “They like Drew Lock and believe he’s a different guy this year with his work ethic. And they like Teddy Bridgewater. They believe he can win games too. They’ll look into Rodgers if he’s available, he’s not, so they’re certainly not going to overreact right now.”
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