The Las Vegas Raiders have been linked to big-name quarterbacks since they made the decision to move off longtime signal caller Derek Carr late last season.
One name that has been bandied about a lot is four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers. Rodgers’ former teammate in Wisconsin, current Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams, has been putting on a full-court recruiting press since the 2022 season came to a conclusion.
It now doesn’t look like this is going to be in the cards. According to Vic Tafur of The Athletic, Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler have "apparently agreed" that they won’t be involved in the Rodgers sweepstakes.
“The Raiders just have too many holes on their roster to trade high draft picks for a 39-year-old quarterback, and there appear to [be] other teams like the Jets that would,” Tafur wrote.
This isn’t necessarily too surprising. It was just late last month that Ziegler himself indicated that the Raiders’ long-term plans at quarterback might not be realized in 2023. In reality, Vegas isn’t one quarterback away from contending with the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers in the AFC West.
It’s all about building for the future and creating a well-rounded roster. Giving up multiple first-round picks and change for a 39-year-old Rodgers never really made sense.
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback options in 2023
This leads us to believe that Vegas will likely look for a quarterback early in the 2023 NFL Draft while finding a potential veteran stopgap option.
McDaniels and Co. boast the seventh overall selection in the draft this spring. While they would likely have to move up for either Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud, Will Levis and Anthony Richardson are viable options.
As for the veteran market, Ziegler seemed to suggest recently that big-ticket names likely won’t be in the cards. That includes a potential trade for former NFL MVP Lamar Jackson, who will soon have the franchise tag placed on him by the Baltimore Ravens.
We’re also not 100% sure about the fit of an often-injured Jimmy Garoppolo behind the Raiders’ current offensive line. He’s likely to come in at $30 million annually on the NFL free-agent market.
It’s in this that a “lesser” option such as Jacoby Brissett could make sense for the Las Vegas Raiders. He has a built-in relationship with both McDaniels and Ziegler dating back to their days together with the New England Patriots. Current Raiders backup Jarrett Stidham could also be an option. He replaced Carr late last season and looked pretty good in limited action.
As it stands, any thought given to the Raiders bringing in Rodgers can now be thrown out the window. Depending on what the future Hall of Fame quarterback opts to do moving forward, the New York Jets seem like a reasonable landing spot. Rodgers just left his darkness retreat and is still deciding on his future. Said decision should come soon.
More must-reads: