49ers reportedly were Aaron Rodgers' top choice if he left Packers in offseason

It appears Aaron Rodgers wanted to play for his hometown team had he not returned to the Green Bay Packers this season.

The reigning MVP reportedly had the San Francisco 49ers as his "top choice" when he asked to leave the Packers during the offseason, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan reached out to Packers head coach Matt LaFleur during the offseason but was told Rodgers was unavailable. With the veteran unattainable, the 49ers quickly shifted plans, betting on Trey Lance becoming their quarterback of the future when they selected him third overall.  

San Francisco had the opportunity to draft Rodgers 16 years ago but passed on the hometown kid to select Alex Smith with the top pick in the 2005 draft. Maybe one day the 49ers will rectify that mistake, but for now, they'll have to keep thinking about the what-ifs.

It's unclear if the 49ers will show interest in Rodgers after the 2021 campaign. They drafted Lance to eventually replace Jimmy Garoppolo, so pursuing Rodgers might not make sense.

However, another team out west is reportedly keeping tabs on Rodgers. Rapoport reported earlier this month that the Denver Broncos could make a "substantial offer" for the veteran after the 2021 season.

The Broncos named Teddy Bridgewater their starter this year, with Drew Lock being second on the depth chart. Neither signal-caller appears to be the team's solution at quarterback, and Rodgers would give Denver its best chance at winning another Super Bowl before a potential reset at QB. 

The 37-year-old is referring to the 2021 season as his "Last Dance" in Green Bay, so a move to Denver, or anywhere for that matter, isn't entirely out of the question.