At this point in the 2022 offseason, the dominant storyline around the NFL is the possibility that big-name quarterbacks such as Houston's Deshaun Watson, Seattle's Russell Wilson and Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers could change teams.
None would send bigger shock waves across the National Football League than a megadeal involving Rodgers.
Just the notion that a two-time defending MVP could be dealt is hard to wrap one's head around.
Of course, there's no guarantee that Rodgers, who passed for 4,115 yards, 37 touchdowns and just four interceptions in 2021 on the way to a 13-4 record and his fourth MVP award, will go anywhere. Per ESPN's Rob Demovsky, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst recently insisted that no promises were made last season that if Rodgers—who is still under contract through 2022—wanted out that he'd get that wish.
"That was not something I told him," Gutekunst said. "Again, I think the whole conversation with Aaron last season before he came back was that, regardless, at the end of this past season, that we would sit down as a group, and we would work it out one way or another."
Still, speculation ramped up again over the past week or so after the 38-year-old Rodgers posted a cryptic thank-you message on Instagram that some interpreted as a goodbye. However, Rodgers told The Pat McAfee Show (h/t Demovsky) after the uproar regarding that post that he has yet to make a decision regarding a trade request:
"You've got to kind of turn everything else off, so you're not working out, you're not straining or anything. It's kind of a re-centering. It not only heals you physically, but I think it takes away mental stress and then the spiritual part I think is it allows you to kind of enjoy the meditations a little more, so when I come out, my first thought is intense gratitude for the people in my life."
On Thursday, Demovsky's colleague Dianna Russini tweeted that sources informed her of a couple of things regarding Rodgers. The first was that a decision from the 17-year veteran regarding his playing status for 2022 is expected soon.
The second was that Gutekunst already has multiple offers on the table.
That last part set off a wave of speculation almost as big as the one that came after Rodgers' goodbye-that-wasn't. Which teams have already pushed chips into the middle of the table? And perhaps even more importantly, how big are those stacks of chips?
The thing is, it doesn't take that much speculation to identify multiple franchises that could be looking to add Rodgers. Or to identify the staggering price that might be required to pry him away from the Pack, barring his retirement.
Offer No. 1: Players and Picks
Denver Broncos receive: Rodgers, 2022 fourth-round pick
Packers receive: 2022 first-round pick, 2022 second-round pick, 2023 first-round pick, 2023 fourth-round pick, WR Jerry Jeudy, QB Drew Lock
This trade would make new Las Vegas Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels question his life decisions.