Aaron Rodgers trade odds: Reigning NFL MVP reportedly wants out of Green Bay; prefers 49ers, Raiders, Vikings
Huge breaking news in the NFL on Thursday ahead of the draft as Aaron Rodgers reportedly wants out of Green Bay.
As if we didn't have enough NFL Draft news ahead of the first round Thursday night, ESPN's Adam Schefter dropped a bomb on Twitter: "Reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers is so disgruntled with the Green Bay Packers that he has told some within the organization that he does not want to return to the team, league and team sources told ESPN." SportsLine offers odds on the chances Rodgers isn't with the Packers to start the 2021 season.
Pro Football Talk is reporting that Rodgers' wish list is the 49ers, Raiders and Vikings. There's NO chance the Packers send him to Minnesota. Yes, Brett Favre ended up with the Vikings, but it took a one-year stop with the Jets first.
It would be far from unprecedented if the Packers did deal Rodgers at some point. A total of five quarterbacks in NFL history have won at least three NFL MVP Awards with one team. Rodgers was the fifth to do so this past season. The other four all eventually left the team they won at least three with: Peyton Manning (four with Colts, went to Denver); Tom Brady (three with Patriots, went to Tampa Bay); Favre (three with Packers, went to Jets); and Johnny Unitas (three with Colts, went to San Diego).
There never has been an NFL MVP traded after winning the award in the previous season. The only MVPs not to return to their team in the season after winning the award were Norm Van Brocklin (retired after winning MVP in 1960) and Jim Brown (retired after winning MVP in 1965).
It's not the only reason, but Rodgers reportedly is still unhappy that the Packers traded up in the first round of last year's draft to select Utah State quarterback Jordan Love instead of adding needed wide receiver help – Green Bay is favored to take a wideout in the first round tonight. Rodgers also could have some "retirement" leverage on the Packers if he were to land the full-time gig hosting Jeopardy, which he wants to do after guest hosting.
Packers GM Brian Gutekunst said this week: "Aaron is our guy. He's going to be our quarterback for the foreseeable future."
The NFL Network's Tom Pelissero tweeted earlier Wednesday this nugget: "The #49ers reached out to the #Packers on Wednesday about trading for Aaron Rodgers, but no formal offer was made and a source said there is a 'zero percent chance' that Green Bay deals the reigning NFL MVP."
Fox Sports Glazer tweeted: "A few teams have called the Packers about trading for Aaron Rodgers."
Another NFL insider reported that the Niners offered Green Bay the No. 3 pick, plus other picks and a number of players from their current roster including Jimmy Garoppolo in a potential trade for Rodgers, who grew up not far from San Francisco.
How wild would a Rodgers trade be tonight? Alas, Green Bay almost certainly will not move on from their franchise player -- who has a massive $37 million cap hit this year -- until after the 2021 season at the earliest because they are good enough to win Super Bowl 56 with Rodgers under center. Green Bay is a +1100 third favorite at William Hill Sportsbook after losing in last season's NFC title game at home to Brady and the Tampa Bay Bucs.
William Hill did take NFC North futures odds, Packers win totals and Green Bay playoff odds off the board with this breaking news.
Via SportsLine oddsmakers: Will Aaron Rodgers be the Packers' starting QB Week 1?
- Yes -700
- No +500
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