It’s been roughly three weeks since we had any real “news” about Aaron Rodgers’ NFL future. With the Green Bay Packers and New York Jets locked in a standstill in trade talks — a deadlock unnecessarily fed by GM Joe Douglas, I might add — there hasn’t been any momentum in a while.
Inklings of a new team joining the fray might start to give the conversation some momentum again.
According to FOX Sports 1’s Craig Carton, the San Francisco 49ers are reportedly ready to pounce on a Rodgers trade should discussions between the Packers and Jets fall through. Rodgers has previously said he wouldn’t play for San Francisco but matters such as this can change on a dime.
The 49ers are ready to pursue Aaron Rodgers if the Packers deal with the Jets falls through says @craigcartonlive 👀 pic.twitter.com/U4a9EEZsVS
— The Carton Show (@TheCartonShow) April 4, 2023
It’s fascinating this information comes out now, considering the 49ers, theoretically, have limited ammunition to facilitate a Rodgers trade. Per Over The Cap, the team has just over $3 million in cap space (which doesn’t factor in a likely pending Nick Bosa massive extension). And they don’t have a first or second-round pick until 2024.
This does not paint the picture of a franchise ready to add a future Hall of Fame quarterback with a monster salary cap hit. All that’s on the table is that the stacked 49ers would be a probable Super Bowl favorite in the NFC if they had a signal caller like Rodgers. The football fit, aside from the underlying logistics, makes a lot of sense.
So … is it the Packers who are leaking this nugget out? It’s unconfirmed, but such an assertion would line up with an organization likely desperate to finally move on to the Jordan Love era. Just because the Jets aren’t shopping around for other quarterbacks like Lamar Jackson doesn’t mean Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst can’t see what else is out there.
Even if it’s meant as a way to prod New York to give in to Green Bay’s demands, checking all of your boxes is never a bad idea.
Given how this Rodgers trade situation has played out to this point, we’re still likely weeks away from a real resolution. But if the Packers wanted to put pressure on the Jets for a faster conclusion, getting the 49ers “involved” would assuredly be a foolproof method.
