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Aaron Rodgers Odds: Broncos, Raiders Still Favored For Packers QB amid Trade Rumors
May 25, 2021
The Denver Broncos are the oddsmakers' clear favorite to land Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers if he's traded before the start of the 2021 NFL season.
DraftKings Sportsbook provided updated betting lines Tuesday for Rodgers' future, with a return to the Packers still listed as the most likely outcome, followed by a trade to the Broncos or Las Vegas Raiders:
Where Rodgers will open the new campaign has become a hot-button topic since ESPN's Adam Schefter reported in late April the reigning NFL MVP had "told some within the organization that he does not want to return to the team."
The 37-year-old Cal product hasn't publicly requested a trade, but he confirmed during an interview with longtime SportsCenter anchor Kenny Mayne, who hosted his last edition of the show Monday, there's a disagreement with the organization about "philosophy:"
"With my situation, look it's never been about the draft pick, picking Jordan [Love]. I love Jordan; he's a great kid. [We've had] a lot of fun to work together. Love the coaching staff, love my teammates, love the fan base in Green Bay. An incredible 16 years. It's just kind of about a philosophy and maybe forgetting that it is about the people that make the thing go. It's about character, it's about culture, it's about doing things the right way."
Green Bay selected Love in the first round of the 2020 draft without informing Rodgers about the intention to add his potential heir apparent.
The nine-time Pro Bowl selection declined to say during his interview with Mayne how he wanted to resolve the lingering issues with the franchise:
"I think sometimes people forget what really makes an organization. History is important, legacy of so many people who've come before you. But the people, that's the most important thing. People make an organization, people make a business and sometimes that gets forgotten. Culture is built brick by brick, the foundation of it by the people, not by the organization, not by the building, not by the corporation. It's built by the people.
"I've been fortunate enough to play with a number of amazing, amazing people and got to work for some amazing people as well. It's those people that build the foundation of those entities. I think sometimes we forget that."
Yahoo Sports' Charles Robinson reported in early May that Rodgers "remains adamant that he won't return to the team under the current stewardship of general manager Brian Gutekunst," but the leader of the Packers' front office has been steadfast in his own stance.
"We're not going to trade Aaron Rodgers," Gutekunst said April 29 after the team drafted cornerback Eric Stokes in the first round of the draft.
Meanwhile, the Broncos have been unable to find a long-term answer at quarterback. Rodgers could step in and transform the team into a championship contender in much the same way Peyton Manning did during the final years of his career after his long tenure with the Indianapolis Colts.
Mark Schlereth, a former Denver offensive lineman and current 104.3 The Fan radio host, posted on the first day of the draft that a Rodgers-to-Broncos trade was “close to a done deal,” but nothing has materialized.
The team did pass on the available quarterbacks with the ninth overall pick in the draft, instead opting for Alabama cornerback Patrick Surtain II, so the need for a QB is still there. As it stands, Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater, who was acquired the day before the draft began, would compete for the starting job.
All of the other possible landing spots, including the Raiders, are long shots based on the current odds.