If Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers decide to continue their partnership, GM Brian Gutekunst should be willing to go all-in for his franchise signal-caller.
The Packers’ 2022 season ended two months ago with a heartbreaking loss to the Detroit Lions which ended their hopes of making the postseason. Fast forward to the first week of March, and Rodgers still has yet to make an announcement on his playing future.
Three options are on the table for the four-time league MVP: Retirement, a trade or a return to Green Bay. The 39-year-old hasn’t offered any hints on his future since coming out of his “Darkness Retreat” a week ago.
In the event that Rodgers returns to Green Bay, what sort of moves should the front office make to bolster their championship hopes? Football Outsiders’ Mike Tanier offered a bold prediction for the offseason at ESPN in which the Packers land a Pro Bowl wideout and a superstar cornerback to accommodate Rodgers:
“If the Packers want to get Rodgers out of dark mode, off the trade market and back in the business of bringing another Super Bowl to Green Bay, they just have to whisper some magic words in his ear. “We traded for Jalen Ramsey. Or Mike Evans. Or, would you believe, both? We are all-in behind you for 2023.”
Such moves may sound impossible given the Packers’ cap situation, but anything is possible for a team willing to burn all its resources and shutter its windows after its Hall of Fame quarterback departs. This is the year to either toss the deed to the ranch into the pot or step away from the table. And this is a “bold moves” feature, not a “likely moves” feature…The Packers might as well throw some draft picks at rebuilding contenders such as the Rams and Bucs to see what they can accomplish before they are forced to join them.
The Rams are expected to trade their All-Pro cornerback in the coming weeks, whereas the Evans’ trade talk is merely speculation. Tom Brady’s retirement leaves Tampa Bay in a bind at the game’s most important position, and now GM Jason Licht must decide if he wants to rebuild or retool.
If it’s the former, it makes sense for Tampa to trade its soon-to-be 30-year-old wide receiver who’s entering the final year of his contract. Evans, who’s racked up nine straight 1,000-yard seasons to begin his career, would automatically step in as Rodgers’ WR1.
