Explaining the legitimacy of the Aaron Rodgers to Pittsburgh Steelers rumors
Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio reported late Friday night that the Pittsburgh Steelers are one of three teams (along with the Denver Broncos and Tennessee Titans) that have a potential deal in place to acquire Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. "The potential moves have been arranged, essentially, with the permission of the Packers," wrote […]
Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio reported late Friday night that the Pittsburgh Steelers are one of three teams (along with the Denver Broncos and Tennessee Titans) that have a potential deal in place to acquire Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
"The potential moves have been arranged, essentially, with the permission of the Packers," wrote Florio.
There's obviously been a lot of noise surrounding Rodgers since the end of the 2021 season. Rodgers has been coy about his plans for next season, which has led to a lot of speculation. If he's made available, he'll be one of the hottest trade targets in NFL history. We're talking about a first-ballot Hall of Famer who is coming off his second straight NFL MVP season.
The being "made available" part is where we run into some issues with Florio's reports.
For now, it doesn't appear that Green Bay has actively engaged in any trade discussions involving Rodgers. And they likely won't unless Rodgers explicitly says he wants to leave Green Bay.
A to Z Sports' Buck Reising, who hosts "The Buck Reising Show" weekdays on 104.5 The Zone in Nashville, reported on Saturday that folks within the Titans organization do not feel the Packers will make Rodgers available in a trade unless Rodgers decides he wants out.
That seems to indicate that Green Bay isn't currently speaking to other teams about dealing Rodgers.
Now, that doesn't mean that Florio's report is false. Florio reported that the potential deals with the Broncos, Titans, and Steelers were being pursued with the "blessing" of Green Bay.
That would mean Rodgers' representation is talking to those teams.
There may be some truth to that. But I don't think it's indicative of any deals being on the table for Rodgers. There's a lot that goes into making a trade. The headline is "player A" for "player B" or "round one draft pick". But there's a lot of boring, human resources type stuff that goes on with a trade. There are also a lot of financial considerations that go into a deal. In other words, for any deal to be "on the table", the Packers would HAVE to be directly involved. And that isn't the case at this point.
So if you're a Steelers fan and you're hoping Rodgers lands in Pittsburgh, I wouldn't get my hopes up just yet. It's still possible, but I don't believe it's "on the verge" of happening. And until Rodgers says he wants out of Green Bay, I think we have to assume that's where he'll be playing in 2022.
Featured image via Adam Wesley/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wi
