A lot of attention has been given to Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers since their season ended in Week 18. When he told Detroit Lions rookie wide receiver that he was going to be holding onto his jersey not swapping it after the game, speculation ran rampant that it could have been his final game at Lambeau Field as a Packer.
Since that point, things have only intensified when it comes to the Aaron Rodgers trade front. While nothing has been decided yet, reading some of the tea leaves would lead you to believe that there is a real chance he is on the move this off-season.
There have been rumors about Aaron Rodgers being traded since 2020 when the team traded up in the first round to select quarterback Jordan Love. While the two sides were always able to work something out, it certainly sounds like 2023 could be the year in which a trade is actually completed.
It has already been reported what kind of compensation Green Bay would be looking for in a return package for the future Hall of Famer, with two first-round picks being the asking price. While steep given Aaron Rodgers’ age and contract, there are assuredly teams that would be willing to pay that.
One of those franchises could be the Indianapolis Colts. Indianapolis is on the search for a quarterback, again, after the Matt Ryan experiment failed miserably in 2022. Ryan was expected to be an upgrade over Carson Wentz but he struggled with the Colts, as he was a turnover machine.
Aaron Rodgers would be a surefire upgrade for Indianapolis, who had the looks of a playoff team heading into the 2022 season but fell woefully short, going 4-12-1. Quarterback play was a big reason for that, in addition to injuries to key players.
To land him, the Colts could offer the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and their first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. That is something that would certainly pique the interest of the Packers, who would be looking to restock the roster around Love.
Landing the No. 4 overall pick would give Green Bay a chance to select one of the top defenders in the 2023 draft class or trade back with a quarterback-needy team and recoup even more assets. They would be in a pretty good spot preparing for life after Aaron Rodgers.
As for the Colts, they would likely be seen as contenders in the AFC South with Aaron Rodgers at the helm. The offense line was among the best units in the NFL two seasons ago and could return to that level with a more mobile Aaron Rodgers under center compared to Wentz and Ryan. When healthy, there are a lot of pieces to work with on that offense with running back Jonathan Taylor and wide receivers Michael Pittman Jr. and Alec Pierce.
