Pro Football Talk is breathing some new life into the idea that the Tennessee Titans could trade for Green Bay Packers quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, this offseason.
PFT’s Mike Florio says that the Titans are among four possible landing spots for the future Hall of Famer, along with the Denver Broncos, Pittsburgh Steelers and, of course, the Packers.
“The destinations are believed to be exclusively in the AFC. To little surprise, the Broncos are one of them. Other viable possibilities are, we’re told, the Titans and Steelers,” Florio writes.
Florio adds that if Rodgers does decide to leave Green Bay, things will move quickly, as trade packages and a new contract for Rodgers have already been put together by each, with permission from the Packers.
“Per a source with knowledge of the situation, Rodgers has specific deals lined up with other teams — and those teams have trade compensation lined up with the Packers,” Florio said. “The potential moves have been arranged, essentially, with the permission of the Packers.”
“To be clear, if Rodgers chooses Denver or Tennesseee or Pittsburgh, the deals will fall into place quickly, both as to the trade terms and as to the contract Rodgers would sign,” Florio continued.
Rodgers to Titans speculation began running rampant this offseason after it was revealed that the 38-year-old had bought land and was building a home in Franklin, Tennessee.
A recent report from ESPN’s Dianna Russini states that Rodgers is looking to be paid $50 million per year in a new deal, but the Packers quarterback has since denied that is the case.
Regardless, if the Titans want to trade for Rodgers, they’d have to find a way to unload their current starter, Ryan Tannehill. Cutting him won’t be an option, as he carries a massive dead cap number.
Instead, the Titans would have to trade him post-June 1, after which he’d account for dead cap hits of $9.6 million this coming season and next, and then $4.6 million in the two years that follow.
Chances are if the Titans do have a trade package for Rodgers, it will involve Tannehill, who could serve as a stopgap option for Green Bay, and multiple draft picks.
So, should the Titans pull the trigger on a deal for Rodgers, while also paying him what figures to be a massive amount of money in a new contract if that becomes an option?
Without a second thought.
Great quarterbacks like Rodgers don’t grow on trees and he’d provide exactly the upgrade Tennessee needs under center in order to take that next step to a Super Bowl.
Championship windows like the one the Titans are in don’t last forever, so this team needs to do all it can to take maximize said window, finances and draft capital be damned.
