28 February 2023 , 14:16
1051
0
A new candidate has emerged for Aaron Rodgers after the Green Bay Packers all-but confirmed that they are ready to move on from him - with Washington Commanders releasing Carson Wentz.
The Commanders got rid of their starting quarterback Wentz on Monday night, in a move that might not have been too surprising with it saving the team over $26 million in cap space with them likely to use that to resign key free agent Daron Payne.
But the Commanders made another intriguing move recently, in hiring Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. The former playcaller for Patrick Mahomes certainly knows how to get the best out of an elite pocket passer, and could be a good landing spot for Rodgers, to be paired with a strong offensive line and elite wide receiver in Terry McLaurin.
The 2022 season was a disappointing one for the Packers, a campaign in which Rodgers did not look pleased throughout the year after the team decided to trade away his No.1 target in superstar wide receiver Davante Adams.
That led to the Packers offense looking out of sync, a contributing factor to why they missed the playoffs and finished with a losing record - which came off the back of Rodgers winning consecutive MVP awards in 2020 and 2021.
Joe Burrow backs Patrick Mahomes after Kansas City Chiefs reach Super Bowl
After the season, both Rodgers and the Packers were non-committal on what the future would hold. The Packers drafted Jordan Love in the first-round of the 2020 draft, and will want to see what they have in their prized asset before he becomes a free agent next year.
The Commanders might be a realistic option for RodgersAnd for Rodgers, he will decide if he even wants to play at all next season, failing to rule out retirement, but also speaking confidently about what he'll be able to do if he is to play elsewhere in 2023.
The Las Vegas Raiders have been the team who have been heavily interested in Rodgers, the team who traded for Adams last season with the two potentially reuniting in the black and silver jerseys, with the New York Jets also being seen as a potential option.
However, both of these teams have poured cold water over the idea of trading for Rodgers in recent weeks, with the Raiders admitting that there might be no 'quick fix' to finding their quarterback, while the Jets are reportedly looking into the free agent markets, including Derek Carr and Geno Smith.
That could leave Rodgers without too many teams to be traded to, but one other has emerged in recent hours - one who would not have been even slightly in Rodgers' mind until recently.