On the morning of the NFL draft, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reported an unexpected rumor. According to him, the San Francisco 49ers reached out to the Green Bay Packers on Wednesday in attempt to trade for star quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Of course, the 37-year-old Rodgers is coming off an MVP season, when he completed 70.7% of his passes, 48 touchdown passes, and threw just five interceptions.
While it was not surprising to hear the 49ers interested in the star, Pelissero was clear that Green Bay shut down any talks before they gained momentum. However, Adam Schefter of ESPN had a bomb of his own to drop, reporting that even after his strong 2020 season, Rodgers “has told some within the organization that he does not want to return to the team.”
After trading three first-round picks to move up from 12 to 3, it seems like the 49ers already chose to forego any veteran quarterbacks. Schefter’s report suggests someone in Rodgers’ camp might have sent some signals out to San Francisco, hoping head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch could swing a deal. For now, that’s not in the cards.
Rodgers has had an uncomfortable relationship with Green Bay ever since they selected Utah State quarterback Jordan Love of the 2019 NFL draft. Still, the franchise has remained steadfast that Rodgers will be their starting quarterback for the foreseeable future. Even if he were able to force a trade, it’s hard to imagine the Packers sending him to one of their biggest rivals in the NFC.
