Report: League sources convinced Packers prefer to trade Aaron Rodgers this offseason
Following an 8-9 season in which the team missed the playoffs, a new report suggests that QB Aaron Rodgers' time in Green Bay is coming to a close.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, league sources believe the Packers would prefer to trade the four-time MVP this offseason. Schefter cites several factors contributing to the preference, driven by financial considerations, the current state of the team, and Rodgers' feelings toward a possible rebuild.
Green Bay inked Rodgers to a three-year $150 million extension last offseason, but there were trade and retirement rumors surrounding the QB before the signing. Rodgers, 39, will be due $108.75 million in guaranteed money over the next two seasons, and Green Bay's cap situation is less than ideal.
Green Bay projects to be more than $16 million over next season's salary cap at this time. Schefter names RB Aaron Jones as a potential cut or trade candidate.
Rodgers will receive $58.3 million of the guaranteed money he's owed this season as an option bonus, per Schefter. This option can be exercised from March 15, the first day of the new league year, until one day before Green Bay's regular-season opener.
Making his weekly appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show" this past Tuesday, Rodgers mentioned that a potential trade is "conjecture" until he decides whether to continue his NFL career. He added that a trade "wouldn't offend me, and it wouldn't make me feel like a victim."
2020 first-round pick Jordan Love is Green Bay's presumed starter if Rodgers gets dealt. The former Utah State Aggie has made 10 appearances in his three-year pro career, starting one game. He has thrown 606 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions, completing 60.2% of his passes.
In a recent "SportsCenter" appearance, Schefter reported that the Packers would trade Rodgers exclusively to the AFC. It's worth noting that the Jets, a potential landing spot for the QB, hired his former OC Nathaniel Hackett for the same position earlier this week.
Interested teams may want to trade for Rodgers sooner rather than later to avoid missing out on other available options. Tom Brady, Derek Carr, and Jimmy Garoppolo are a few QBs facing uncertainty of their own entering the offseason.
More must-reads: