It’s now or never for the Broncos to consider adding Aaron Rodgers
Feb 28, 2022, 6:50 AM
We should have a decision about the future of Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers soon. Perhaps as soon as Monday or Tuesday this week, Rodgers will decide if he wants to stay in Green Bay, get traded or retire from the game of football. Perhaps his decision will not be revealed this week, but either way Broncos fans are getting impatient.
I’m sick of waiting. We’ve been hearing that Rodgers could be an option for the Denver Broncos since the 2021 NFL draft when the news first hit. Here we are, almost a year later, still waiting and hoping that Rodgers will come to Denver. If the Broncos do not get Rodgers this offseason, I don’t want them to pursue him if he becomes available later in his career.
It’s now or never with Rodgers in my opinion. In this blog, I will tell you why.
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Age is a Factor
I know the old saying is that age is just a number, but it’s a number that looms large in the NFL. Not everyone is Tom Brady and can put up excellent numbers well into their 40s. In fact, Brady is the only quarterback in NFL history to do that. Betting that Rodgers could follow suit would be betting on a long shot. Instead, Rodgers is most likely to be in the same position that Peyton Manning was when he joined the Broncos. You’re looking at three or four more years of playing at a high level before Rodgers falls off – and the timetable may be shorter than that.
Manning was a free agent, and the Broncos were able to convince him that Denver was the best spot for him. I feel the 2012 Broncos were the best overall team, although it was the 2013 Broncos and 2015 Broncos that went to the Super Bowl. We remember that 2013 was the year the Broncos offense scored over 600 points, the first team in NFL history to do that. It was also the year they got waxed in Super Bowl 48 by the Seattle Seahawks. We remember the 2015 Broncos because they won it all – thanks to their historic defense – in Super Bowl 50. Manning’s Broncos were Super Bowl contenders for four straight seasons, and I feel Rodgers could do the same thing for the team for at least three years.
Rodgers is 38-years old and will turn 39 in early December 2022. Manning was 36-years old when he joined the Broncos, and he was approaching 40-years old when he retired. That makes this situation different as Rodgers is older – and the team would have to trade for him rather than pick him up as a free agent like they did with Manning. Not every quarterback can play into his 40s like Brady did. He was 42-years old when he joined the Buccaneers after 20 seasons with the Patriots. Brady won one and came back in 2021, put up amazing numbers and then retired (for now) after the season.
Rodgers is great, but he’s got two-or-three years left to play at a high level in my opinion. If the Broncos don’t get him until next season, he will have one more year of wear and tear on his body and maybe only a year or two of high-level play remaining. To me, that’s not enough to wait around and slog through another subpar season.
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Done with Drama
The whole pursuit of Rodgers and the “will he, won’t he” conversation around Rodgers has become nauseating to me. Rodgers is a back-to-back MVP of the NFL, and he certainly gets headlines no matter what the subject. When Rodgers is a guest on a show, like Pat McAfee’s podcast, the quotes lead SportsCenter on ESPN. There is no doubt that Rodgers moves the needle – and that will continue if he stays with the Packers this year and then moves on some time after that.
I don’t know if Rodgers likes the drama around his decision, but he’s sure not shying away from the circus that is made as everyone waits for his decision. It seems like no matter what he does Rodgers attracts attention both positively and negatively. He’s a four-time MVP player still playing at a high level, and that type of distraction is worth it. However, what happens when his game shows signs of slowing down but the media coverage is still ramped up?
It’s been over a year when it was discovered the Broncos may be able to get Rodgers. If they don’t get him now, I don’t see any reason to continue. It’s just more offseason drama that this team doesn’t need as they rebuild. There are plenty of other spots on this team that need work – with or without Rodgers – and the team needs to focus on that. If they can get Rodgers that’s awesome. If they can’t get Rodgers, they need to have a plan in place for the whole team.
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Paton’s Clock
Broncos general manager George Paton signed a six-year contract when he took over the Broncos last year. Entering the 2022 season, Paton has five years left – and new head coach Nathaniel Hackett signed a four-year deal this offseason. The clock is ticking on Paton, and he can’t afford to have any more lost seasons as he continues to wait on the quarterback he may have thought he had a shot at in 2021.
Paton will be judged by the quarterback he adds to the Broncos. If he gets Rodgers, the Broncos are immediately Super Bowl contenders in my opinion, and the move would be regarded as a huge hit for the second-year general manager. If Paton doesn’t get Rodgers but kicks the can down the road with a guy like Jimmy Garoppolo or Kirk Cousins then he’s likely to be on the way out of Denver. It sounds harsh or extreme, but the bottom line is if Paton adds a lesser quarterback he’s putting his own job on the line.
He was with the Minnesota Vikings when they tried several different options to upgrade the position. First-round picks like Christian Ponder and Teddy Bridgewater did not work out. Neither did making moves via trade or free agency for guys like Sam Bradford or Kirk Cousins. The Mile High City is different. The pressures to find a true franchise quarterback is different. This fan base is used to competing for and being in the Super Bowl conversation – and that’s not the case with the Vikings. I believe Paton is aware of the difference, and that’s why he’s nosed around getting Matthew Stafford last offseason along with Rodgers.
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Summary
It’s now or never for Rodgers. Either the Broncos get him this offseason – and I hope they do – or they move on and don’t look back. Time is money, and time is precious in the NFL. It’s time to get Rodgers or it’s time to go in a different direction. We’ll see what the future holds for Rodgers and the Broncos soon.
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