Rapoport: An Aaron Rodgers trade is “not an impossibility”

On Monday, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport spoke on The Pat McAfee Show about the most recent rumors surrounding Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and his future. This weekend, ESPN’s Adam Schefter stated that the Packers and Rodgers “are fully aware that a trade is a very real scenario this offseason” while ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler claimed that backup quarterback Jordan Love could request a trade if Rodgers does return to the team in 2023.

Rapoport pushed back some on the idea of Rodgers playing elsewhere, explaining that a team trading for the four-time MVP would only be promised a single season at the cost of $60 million. As Rapoport put it, “It’s not an impossibility,” but only “if the Packers got the right package.”

When discussing compensation, Rapoport said it would cost “a first-rounder, I’m sure, probably more.” For reference, Matthew Stafford was traded from the Detroit Lions to the Los Angeles Rams for two first-round picks, a third-round pick and quarterback Jared Goff back in 2021.

Rodgers is scheduled to make his weekly appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday, so it’s possible that we’re going to hear new updates on what the quarterback is thinking and where his offseason “process” is at the moment. Last week, he said that he didn’t want a part of a rebuild, which seems reasonable, but seemed to suggest that allowing receiver Randall Cobb, receiver Allen Lazard, tight end Marcedes Lewis, tight end Robert Tonyan and/or left tackle David Bakhtiari walk this offseason would qualify as a “rebuild.”

In the end-of-year presser for general manager Brian Gutekunst, the Packers architect stated clearly that he wants both Bakhtiari and Rodgers to return to the team in 2023. In the end, though, the decision will come down to what Rodgers wants. As long as the quarterback is willing to use the big red button that is him threatening retirement, he functionally can control where he plays in this upcoming season.