Better fit for Aaron Rodgers in 2023: Raiders or Jets?
This offseason will be filled with many questions about where players will end up. One name that has highlighted this storyline for the last few years is Aaron Rodgers. Every offseason seems like a saga when following Rodgers. Will he retire? Will he return to Green Bay? Will he be traded? If I had to put my money on it, I would say that the 39-year-old quarterback will get traded this offseason.
There are quite a few teams that come up in this conversation, but the two that make the most sense and most plausible landing spots for Rodgers are the Raiders and Jets.
The first team that I will discuss is the Raiders. Las Vegas is coming off a pretty disappointing season, going 6-11 despite acquiring Devante Adams from the Packers to pair with Derek Carr, while adding talent on the defensive side of the ball as well. Carr’s stint with the Raiders is clearly concluded, and Las Vegas front office needs to make sure that it does not waver Adams’ confidence in the direction the organization is going. Tom Brady was the most popular bet to be the Raiders’ next quarterback in 2023, but after announcing his retirement on Wednesday, it has opened the door to discussing the possibility of landing Aaron Rodgers.
Why the Raiders make sense for Rodgers
The Raiders are in an interesting spot this offseason. Las Vegas is in a win-now mode with the pieces that it has, but it feels like the Raiders are trying to reload and rebuild at the same time.
The Raiders possess the seventh pick in the 2023 draft, a spot that is very plausible for a quarterback to be available, but Josh McDaniels may not have the time to develop a quarterback. After failing to make the playoffs, and in the fashion the Raiders lost games last season, McDaniels could be on a very short leash. Because of this, the Raiders may be more aggressive in acquiring a quarterback that can help the team make the playoffs right now.
The major component in all of this is Adams. The Rodgers-Adams connection in Green Bay was historically great, and the two future Hall-of-Famers are not getting any younger. Adams is 30 years old and the window of winning a championship with Adams is smaller than what the Raiders probably want to admit. Pairing Adams with Rodgers could elevate this offense to new levels in 2023.
In addition, this offense would supply Aaron Rodgers with plenty of weapons. However, a piece that would most likely be included in the trade package is Darren Waller. Having Waller in the trade could save the Raiders a first-round pick. So, the pass-catching options would most likely consist of Adams, Hunter Renfrow, and Mack Hollins.
Las Vegas currently holds $19.7 million in cap space heading into 2023 and can free up another $30 million by releasing or trading Carr before Feb. 15. That paired with the salary cap expected to be increased to $224.8 million – a $16.6 million increase from the 2022 NFL season – allows the Raiders to have enough room to fit Rodgers under the cap while having the ability to retain Josh Jacobs and add a couple of pieces in free agency.