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There has been a ceasefire in the Aaron Rodgers holdout saga. The iconic QB has agreed to play for the Green Bay Packers this season in exchange for a new contract that lets him walk at the end of 2021.
While Packers fans are rejoicing at having Rodgers for another year, the fact that this is a marriage of convenience destined for divorce in a year isn't lost on them. The pre-nups are signed, though, so let's see where this one goes.
At the same time, other teams are circling March on their calendars already. The Denver Broncos already have a countdown timer set and will be the frontrunners to land Aaron Rodgers in 2022. Here's why.
Aaron Rodgers to Denver: Set the timer to one year
Denver will need a new quarterback in 2022
2021 felt like the time to make a big move for a new signal-caller. Even before the season started, the idea of either Teddy Bridgewater or Drew Lock under center in a division run by Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert and Derek Carr seemed hopeless.
More so than most other teams in 2021, the Broncos seem to be a dead team walking, waiting for Drew Lock and Bridgewater to fully fizzle out before they are ready to get a top quarterback in 2022. For his part, Rodgers has set himself up to fulfill just that.
Barring a miracle, the Broncos will be in line for a top draft pick in 2022. Their options will be Aaron Rodgers or drafting a quarterback. The Broncos will need to choose one path. Odds are, after six years of missing the playoffs, the temptation for an instant turnaround will be too great, and the Broncos will be willing to spend a fortune to get him signed in Denver.
Denver won't need to make a trade this time around
During draft weekend, when talks were gathering pace, it seemed that no price was too high to land Aaron Rodgers. However, Broncos general manager George Paton ultimately decided against investing a fortune of draft capital and players to get the quarterback. His willingness to say no in the heat of the moment may have worked out for Denver in the long term.
With Aaron Rodgers expected to be a free agent in 2022, the Broncos won't have to part with any players or draft picks to sign him. Of course, they'll need to spend millions to get him in the building. However, in many situations, draft capital is more valuable than money. Whatever price Rodgers names, the Broncos will be willing to fork out.
George Paton was witness to Aaron Rodgers single-handed dominance
George Paton worked in the Minnesota Vikings front office for years before landing with the Denver Broncos. During that time, he stood witness to division rival Aaron Rodgers destroying his team's hopes season after season.
Chasing that dominance with a man who'll be a free agent next year will too big an opportunity to miss for George Payton.
Aaron Rodgers already has interest in Denver
During the offseason, Aaron Rodgers reportedly had interest in landing in the AFC West with either the Las Vegas Raiders or the Denver Broncos. The Denver Broncos seemed to be the most interesting fit for a quarterback who wanted to win a Super Bowl. The Denver Broncos have as loaded a roster as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers did before Tom Brady arrived.
The Broncos have three number one wide receivers in Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler in addition to Noah Fant and Melvin Gordon. Defensively, the Broncos have Von Miller, Bradley Chubb and Justin Simmons, among others. This becomes a Super Bowl-caliber roster once you throw Aaron Rodgers into the mix.
Aaron Rodgers has also said he would not mind sharing a division with Patrick Mahomes. He is the reigning MVP, after all.
