Broncos GM had a pretty blunt response regarding Aaron Rodgers trade speculation
After hiring their new head coach on Thursday, the Denver Broncos must now decide who will be starting under center in 2022. Former offensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers, Nathaniel Hackett, became the 18th head coach in Broncos history and now must find his quarterback.
In a search process that took nearly three weeks, including interviews with 10 different candidates, general manager George Paton finally got his man. Many around the NFL believe that Paton was thinking about the quarterback situation when hiring Hackett, who worked with Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay. The Packers quarterback's future has been discussed heavily as of late, but Paton was quick to dismiss rumors around his motivations to hire Hackett.
When asked if Aaron Rodgers was a factor when hiring Hackett, here's how Paton responded:
"Absolutely not."
Paton on if Aaron Rodgers was a factor in hiring Hackett: “Absolutely not.” #9sports
Paton also revealed, in an interview with 9News, that he decided to go forward with Hackett as the new team leader following a phone call.
"Tuesday we got in a Zoom and we just talked ball," Paton said. "And nothing else. His vision, my vision, we're aligned, we can work together. And after that call I said I'm done. This is the guy."
Who may be the next Denver Broncos quarterback?
The Broncos play in the AFC West, arguably one of the toughest divisions in the whole of football. They play the Kansas City Chiefs, the Los Angeles Chargers and the Las Vegas Raiders a total of six times each season. That means two meetings per year with each of Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert and Derek Carr. The next signal caller in Denver needs to be able to compete with that caliber of quarterback.
They certainly have an offensive-minded head coach in Hackett. Now all they need is 'the guy' to help them with their playoff aspirations.
New #Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett inherited a pretty good team - a team without a good quarterback.
You've got to think #Packers QB Aaron Rodgers would be at least a intrigued at joining his good friend in Denver.
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The Broncos have a few options for next year. They could go through the draft to find their quarterback. They do have a fairly high pick with the ninth selection, though it is widely believed this draft class is not as talented when it comes to the quarterback position. Maybe a look at free agency would be useful, though the only real options under 30 are Jameis Winston and Mitchell Trubisky.
Denver could also go for a monster trade and look to obtain the services of Rodgers or Russell Wilson. And with his former offensive coordinator now at the helm, maybe Rodgers would be a great fit if they could somehow make it happen.
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