Aaron Rodgers commerce may have ripple impact that impacts Bears’ offseason
Rodgers trade could have ripple effect that impacts Bears’ plans initially appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
There’s an opportunity that Aaron Rodgers’ closing recreation as a Inexperienced Bay Packer at Soldier Subject came about on Dec. 4 when he saluted Bears followers following a 28-19 win in Week 13.
On Saturday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the prospect of the Packers buying and selling Rodgers this offseason is “a real possibility.” If Rodgers has certainly performed his closing recreation in inexperienced and gold, his exit may have an effect on a pivotal offseason for the division rival he has owned since 2008.
The Bears completed the season at 3-14 and personal the No. 1 choose within the 2023 NFL Draft. Common supervisor Ryan Poles stated quarterback Justin Fields would be his starter in 2023 and that he must be “blown away” to draft a quarterback at No. 1.
Poles expects to have quarterback-needy groups beating down his door to commerce for the choose come late March.
However Rodgers, Derek Carr, Lamar Jackson, Tom Brady, and the remainder of the veteran offseason quarterback carousel will determine how many teams and which of them deplete the Halas Corridor telephones strains after putting out on the cream of the veteran crop.
There are two sorts of quarterback-needy groups: those that consider they’re a quarterback away from rivalry and people ranging from the bottom up. The latter — assume Texans, Colts, Panthers — will not be logical locations for a 39-year-old Rodgers, who will wish to go someplace with reasonable title desires and never spend the ultimate years of his profession in NFL purgatory.
The Jets, Raiders, Commanders, and Saints look like the most probably contenders for Rodgers, Carr, and Brady.
Whichever group(s) are left standing when the music stops may have their desperation to discover a quarterback ratcheted up tenfold.
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From the place we sit in mid-January, it appears doubtless the Colts and Texans will find yourself having a bidding conflict to see which is able to soar as much as No. 1 to draft both C.J. Stroud or Bryce Younger.
However do not low cost the potential of a faux-contender that misses out on Rodgers — ought to the Packers commerce him — deciding now’s the time to make an enormous play for a franchise quarterback within the draft.
The Raiders sit at No. 7, the Panthers are at No. 9, the Jets at No. 13, and the Commanders at No. 16.
The Jets have performed an amazing job of constructing a younger, proficient roster that has the look of a contender. However it’s clear they whiffed on Zach Wilson and now must discover a appropriate choice underneath middle who will not torpedo their title desires. That may very well be Mike White. If Rodgers turns into out there, the Jets would appear like the very best potential touchdown spot for the spotlight-craving, attention-loving famous person.
However what if Rodgers is not moved, Carr goes to Washington, and Brady heads to Las Vegas? If the Jets actually consider they’ve all the pieces else wanted to contend for a title, they may look to make a just like the one the 49ers made in 2021 once they moved up from No. 12 to No. 3 to draft Trey Lance.
The Bears shifting right down to No. 13 might be not appetizing to Poles except the draft haul is huge.
However that is simply an instance of how a Rodgers commerce, ought to it materialize or not, may create a ripple impact that injects unlikely groups into the bidding for the No. 1 choose.
This all in all probability ends with Rodgers again in Inexperienced Bay in 2023. However the Bears will undoubtedly be very thinking about how the offseason saga in Inexperienced Bay unfolds — for extra causes than one.
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