The Indianapolis Colts are heading into what could be a massive offseason for the franchise. After being knocked out of the playoffs in a brutal Week 18 loss against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Colts could look to make some big changes to the roster. Could making a blockbuster trade for Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers be among those huge moves?
Jim Irsay has never shied away from making the big move. If he thinks that a trade would help his team win a Super Bowl, he will look to make that trade. Chris Ballard has also been a quality GM for the franchise and will look to get them back into title contention this offseason if possible.
Carson Wentz is coming off of a rough first season with the Colts. He showed flashes of being a quality player, but also showed flashes of what got him run out of Philadelphia. The Colts have to make a decision on whether or not he is the long-term answer under center.
Well, Matt Johnson of SportsNaut has suggested that the Colts could pull off a trade for Rodgers. His trade would send Wentz, a 2022 second-round pick, a 2023 first-round pick, a 2023 second-round pick, a 2024 first-round pick, a 2024 second-round pick, and Dayo Odeyingbo to the Packers for the MVP quarterback.
The trade would be a bit similar to the Jared Goff-Matthew Stafford deal in 2021. Indianapolis adds additional compensation for the Packers to take on Wentz’s contract. While he wouldn’t be the long-term starter for the Packers, he’s better than Jordan Love and would at least give LaFleur and Co. a shot to win the NFC North. Plus, Odeyingbo provides depth at edge rusher and the draft picks could be gold for Gutekunst.
There are quite a few issues to have with this trade. First of all, it seems highly unlikely that the Packers would want to bring Wentz back. They drafted Jordan Love for a reason and moving on from Rodgers would signal a move to Love.
Secondly, the Colts may not be willing to give up five picks to the Packers for Aaron Rodgers. He is still an elite quarterback, but is 38 years old and trending towards the end of his career. On the other side of things, the Colts might be willing to make that big of a deal in order to compete for a Super Bowl.
What a trade this would be. The Packers would be going into a bit of a rebuild while the Colts would vault to the top of the AFC to contend with teams like the Kansas City Chiefs, Cincinnati Bengals, Baltimore Ravens, and many more. It’s the kind of move that would shake the entire landscape of the NFL.
Expect to hear a ton of rumors surrounding Rodgers this offseason. The Colts may not be in on acquiring him, but it’s something that they should seriously consider at the very least.
