NFL Trade Rumors: Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson to Be Pursued by Commanders

The Washington Commanders "will definitely pursue" star quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson this offseason via a potential trade, according to ESPN's John Keim. 

According to that report, "Washington has reached out to every team to inquire about a quarterback's availability and the cost" and "started its search with a list of 42 quarterbacks."

It's clear the Commanders will undergo a comprehensive search to unearth a franchise quarterback:

Desperate times, it seems, call for desperate measures. 

The Commanders were just 7-10 last year, the team's fifth straight losing season. Washington hasn't won a playoff game since 2005 and has reached the postseason just five times this century. 

Last year, the team rolled with Taylor Heinicke (3,419 yards, 20 touchdowns, 15 interceptions) as its starter. In 2020, the team cycled through Alex Smith, Dwayne Haskins, Kyle Allen and Heinicke. In 2019, Haskins and Case Keenum both got run. 

Since Robert Griffin III dazzled in his 2012 rookie season before fizzling out as an NFL starter, the Commanders haven't had a player worth being truly excited about at the position. In the past decade, the team's most consistent starter was Kirk Cousins, and Washington wasn't willing to pay to keep him around. 

The natural question, then, is why a player like Rodgers or Wilson would give their blessing to be traded to Washington? 

Rodgers has made the postseason 11 times as the starter for the Packers and has won a title. Wilson has missed the playoffs just twice since 2012. Even if both players did want to leave their current situations, would a Washington franchise that has been fairly mediocre for some time now move the needle for them?

Perhaps the team's young talent could be enticing. Tom Brady stepped into the Tampa Bay Buccaneers locker room in 2020, for instance, and guided a talented roster to a title. 

Whether this Washington team is built to make that type of run is up for debate. But there is no doubt talent on both sides of the ball, from running back Antonio Gibson and wideout Terry McLaurin to defensive lineman standouts like Chase Young and Jonathan Allen. 

"Their front seven is really good. McLaurin is a bit underrated," former general manager and ESPN analyst Mike Tannenbaum told Keim. "They could use another piece or two—as could most teams—but with Russell, they're in that conversation for best team in the conference."