- This time of year, you could count on one thing: Superstar quarterbacks wouldn’t get much attention. Occasionally, you’d see Peyton Manning or Brett Favre leave a team because of an injury or because they changed their minds about retiring, but those were the exceptions more than the rule. Things have changed drastically in recent years. Off-season coverage of quarterback antics has become so commonplace over the previous three years that it’s become the new normal.
- On this day, the Green Bay Packers’ Aaron Rodgers future was decided. After months of speculation about whether he would retire or seek a transfer, he has signed a four-year contract for $200 million with a stunning $153 million in guarantees to remain with the team. Rodgers has risen to the position of highest-paid football player. That wasn’t even enough to make him the most talked about person on the day.
- It goes to Russell Wilson, who was traded to the Denver Broncos in a deal with Seattle and is now the team’s quarterback. There has been a lot of speculation that the Broncos might be interested in trading for Aaron Rodgers if he made such a request. The Broncos and Seahawks have been in talks for weeks to make this transaction happen, it turns out. As quickly as this, the AFC West has become the most dominant division in football, and Aaron Rodgers has faded into obscurity.
- It’s time to take a breath and make sense of it all after such a crazy day. There was more to this day than Rodgers and Wilson. When two future Hall of Famers died, it had an effect on many others. From today’s events, here are some winners and losers.
Winners
- Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst: There has been more criticism aimed at the general manager of the Green Bay Packers than any other in the NFL this season. In the winter of 2013, the enmity between Rodgers and Gutekunst was made public. Gutekunst selected Jordan Love, the anticipated successor to Aaron Rodgers, two years ago. In keeping with Rodgers’ tradition of bidding farewell to the team’s elder players, Gutekunst did the same. That Gutekunst built a squad that won 13 games in three consecutive seasons doesn’t matter. We can all blame Gutekunst for all of Aaron Rodgers’ grief, as well as Packers president Mark Murphy. Gutekunst’s decision to re-sign wide receiver Randall Cobb is one example of how he hopes to repair the team’s relationship with quarterback Aaron Rodgers. This was a challenge even for the most seasoned of employees. This was another triumph for Gutekunst, who has had a string of them lately.
- George Paton, Broncos general manager: After a strong start to the season, Denver’s general manager was in a great position heading into this summer. The only thing missing from his team was a quarterback, but he just acquired one of the best in the business. Wilson’s arrival has elevated this team to the level of a serious contender for the Super Bowl. There are other Pro Bowl quarterbacks in the AFC, but Wilson is the only one with a Super Bowl ring and nine Pro Bowl appearances to his name. Every team in the AFC West features a quarterback who has been recognised for their achievements. To his credit, he still knows how to take advantage of his teammates’ inexperience and strengthen an underwhelming offence. This was Paton’s only option. Before finding a quarterback capable of competing with Justin Herbert or Josh Allen, this team was doomed to fail. Paton was under a lot of pressure because of the Rams’ Super Bowl triumph and the subsequent trade for Matthew Stafford. So there you have it.
- It’s easier for Green Bay wide receiver Jordy Adams to plan his future with the Packers once Aaron Rodgers’ choice was made public. Due to a lack of progress in negotiating a long-term deal with him this offseason, the Packers have officially applied the franchise tag. As a result, Adams can stop debating whether or not he should stay in Green Bay. It is possible that he will be able to cope with the disappointment of getting turned down for a new squad because of their excellent bond. The fact that these two were not talking about the future after all of their achievement is also difficult to fathom. An image that circulated on social media named “The Last Dance” a few months ago hinted to the possibility of their breaking up. Green Bay seemed to have a lot more to offer these two.
- 4) QB Deshaun Watson of the Houston Texans: When it comes to his several sexual misconduct claims, the Houston Texans quarterback still has a lot to figure out. Due to so little progress in these investigations over the last year, Watson’s civil deposition is planned for Friday, which is also when a grand jury, which will determine whether Watson will face criminal charges, will hear his case. If Rodgers stays in Green Bay and Wilson moves to Denver, Watson will have even more interested suitors. Seeing Stafford and Brady win Super Bowls in their first seasons with new clubs is what happens. Around the time of last year’s trade deadline, the Miami Dolphins were linked to quarterback Deshaun Watson (and NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reports that Carolina and Tampa Bay are seriously interested now). This offseason, with so many teams in need of a quality quarterback, it’s hard to believe that he won’t be traded. Rodgers was always going to be a tough player to trade for, while the Broncos gave up a haul to acquire Wilson. To get Watson from the Texans may not cost as much as previously thought, and he’s an excellent quarterback to boot.
- 5) 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo: Garoppolo isn’t as talented as Rodgers, Wilson or Watson, but his market now has grown exponentially. While Watson’s legal troubles create a hurdle in that situation, the main knock on Garoppolo these days is a shoulder operation he underwent this week. A year after leading the 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has done the same for that team. San Francisco already has its quarterback of the future in house — Trey Lance — as well, with the hope that he’d serve an apprentice year under Garoppolo before taking over. Several clubs, like Indianapolis and Washington, believe that they can win today with the proper quarterback in place. As much as people wonder how San Francisco could deal Garoppolo after the way he led this team — while battling through injuries — the reality is the 49ers are going to have no trouble finding a favorable deal for their quarterback.
- Losers
- Packers quarterback Jordan Love: So much for his Packers career. In fairness to Love — who Green Bay traded up to select in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft — he’s only had one start since entering the league. He gets criticized for how overmatched he looked in that 13-7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, but there’s still plenty of time for him to become a productive player in this league. All that game proved is that the Packers would be insane to give up Rodgers and place their franchise’s hopes in Love at this point. Love might likely be traded somewhere. He could end up like Garoppolo, who was drafted to replace Tom Brady in New England before being traded to San Francisco. He also could end up like Josh Rosen, whom the Arizona Cardinals traded away less than a year after making him a first-round pick in the 2018 draft. Here’s hoping that it’s the former.
- Kansas City Chiefs: Mahomes turned heads when he signed a 10-year, $450 million extension in July of 2020. That deal dropped jaws both because of the money he was receiving and the money he was leaving on the table. Mahomes was happy to take a team-friendly deal over such a long timetable because it gave the Chiefs the flexibility to make roster moves that could keep them contending for a championship. He also signed that deal a few months after winning his first Super Bowl. Times change quickly in this league. Mahomes is no longer the highest-paid player in the league, as Rodgers’ $50 million annual salary trumps his $45 million per year deal. Mahomes also just watched another superstar signal-caller land in the AFC West, which makes his route to another Super Bowl that much harder. Is Mahomes going to be cool with the idea of other quarterbacks potentially surging past him on the highest-paid line – stars like Lamar Jackson, Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow will surely benefit from the market Rodgers just reset — as he finds more hurdles to a Super Bowl appearing in front of him? It wouldn’t be surprising to see this current deal torn up and a new one set in place in a few years.
