The San Francisco 49ers head into another offseason facing a mountain of uncertainty at quarterback, and at least one option is seemingly off the table — a trade for Aaron Rodgers.
That is, if Rodgers’ comments while golfing at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am on Thursday are to be believed.
Rodgers engaged in a cheeky on-air exchange with tournament host Colt Knost as he lined up to take a tee shot, with Knost drawing laughter as he asked Rodgers if he had “any news to share” in reference to Rodgers’ stated uncertainty as to whether he will retire, return to the Green Bay Packers or try to seek a trade elsewhere.
With a smile and a chuckle, Rodgers responded, “I’m not going to San Fran.”
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Knost, evidently a Dallas Cowboys fan, told Rodgers that he would look great with a Cowboys star on his head as Rodgers prepared for his golf swing, to which Rodgers did not respond.
Knost’s sentiment has been echoed by another Cowboys fan — Skip Bayless.
‘You better believe I want Aaron Rodgers to replace Dak’
However, such a move seems unlikely. Current Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is owned $31 million in guaranteed salary next season and moving on from him would leave the Dallas with a dead cap hit of over $58 million.
As for the 49ers, their quarterback situation is wide open after sustaining major injuries to Trey Lance, Jimmy Garoppolo and Brock Purdy during the 2022 season. Lance and Purdy will remain under contract but with plenty of questions after Lance’s Week 2 ankle injury that forced season-ending surgery and Purdy’s UCL tear in the NFC Championship Game.
Aaron Rodgers rules out 49ers ‘I’m not going to San Fran,’ good or bad idea?
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said that he does not envision a scenario where the veteran Garoppolo, set to be a free agent, returns to the team. Meanwhile, another rumored veteran free agent target for the 49ers, Tom Brady (who, like Rodgers, is a Northern California native), announced his retirement from the NFL “for good” Wednesday.
But with Rodgers also under contract — for nearly $60 million guaranteed — in 2023, the Packers also control where to send him via a potential trade, and Rodgers himself reportedly does not have the leverage of a no-trade clause. If the Packers do move on from Rodgers, which seems increasingly likely, the 49ers and Cowboys would be off the table anyway as Green Bay does not want to send him to another NFC team, per ESPN.
[Packers reportedly prefer to move on from Aaron Rodgers]
Why Aaron Rodgers to Raiders makes sense for both parties, Packers
But there are other potential destinations in the AFC, including two with strong connections to Rodgers and notable questions at quarterback — the Las Vegas Raiders and New York Jets. The Raiders have star wide receiver Davante Adams and the Jets recently hired Nathaniel Hackett as their offensive coordinator.
Adams was Rodgers’ top pass-catcher, and Hackett the Packers’ offensive coordinator, during Rodgers’ back-to-back MVP seasons in 2020 and 2021. Rodgers has publicly praised both men several times since they departed Green Bay. Adams also recently responded on Twitter when a fan asked which Las Vegas-area neighborhood Rodgers would move into, simply tweeting “Mine”.
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