3 things the Commanders must do to make the Aaron Rodgers trade happen
Aaron Rodgers is the focal point of the 2022 NFL offseason, at least until he makes his decision about what he wants to do moving forward. He has been very vague about whether or not he wants to return to the Green Bay Packers for the 2022 season, causing a wide spectrum of rumors to form about his future.
Aaron Rodgers will be informing the Packers of his decision soon, per league sources. I’m told there are multiple teams with offers on the table but of course, nothing can happen until the Green Bay Packers allow a trade.
All options appear to be on the table for Rodgers until he makes his own intentions clear. He could return for another season with the Packers, request to be traded to a new team, sit out the season or possibly even retire. He requested to be traded prior to the 2021 season, but ultimately came back and played anyway, so it's definitely possible that he will once again request a trade this year.
If Aaron Rodgers does request another trade this year, and the Packers agree to move him, there will likely be many teams interested in making an offer for the superstar quarterback. The Washington Commanders are one of the teams who are figured to be in the mix. Head coach Ron Rivera has publicly stated that he believes his team will be in the market for a quarterback this year.
Commanders HC Ron Rivera hints at new QB entering the fray in 2022 NFL season
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One catch to the whole situation is Rodgers' no-trade clause in his contract. That means he has the power to say no to any potential trade if he doesn't want to join the team who made the offer. While Rivera believes Washington is the ideal landing spot, they may have some work to do first. With that being said, here are three things the Commanders need to do to become an attractive destination for Aaron Rodgers.
3 ways the Washington Commanders can improve their chances of landing Aaron Rodgers
#1 - Improve their offensive line
Taylor Heinicke was sacked 38 times last season, the 7th most in the NFL. Rodgers plays behind an excellent offensive line in Green Bay, so he most likely won't want to go somewhere that sees him have a significant drop off in pass protection. Washington could also lose guard Brandon Scherff to free agency, which further complicates the situation. They should look to free agency or the 2022 NFL Draft to focus on improving protection if they want to attract Rodgers.
#2 - Add a wide receiver
Terry McLaurin is an emerging star, recording 3,090 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns across his first three seasons in the NFL despite poor quarterback play. The problem, however, is that no other player on their roster eclipsed 400 receiving yards last season, so they need to add another option.
Packers GM Brian Gutenkunst on Aaron Rodgers. “No new updates.”
He does hope to have a decision from Rodgers by the start of the new league year.
He also adds that the Rodgers situation is separate from WR Davante Adams’ situation. No bearing on one another.
Rodgers experienced a lack of receivers behind Davante Adams in Green Bay, so again, it's unlikely he would want to be in the same situation in Washington. Ideally, Washington should try to acquire Adams, who is a pending free agent. If he is tagged by the Packers, it's possible they could trade both Rodgers and Adams together in a mega-package deal.
#3 - Offer Aaron Rodgers power
If Aaron Rodgers is traded this year, he will likely be looking to join a team where he will have a say in roster decisions, similar to what Tom Brady had with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They don't need to give him full control of the team, but should allow for his input to weigh heavily into the decision-making process of roster building. That may just be enough to convince him that Washington is the ideal landing spot.