Aaron Rodgers Rumors: Raiders 'Simply Weren't Interested' Before Geno Smith Trade

Aaron Rodgers' list of potential free-agent suitors is getting smaller after the Las Vegas Raiders agreed to a deal for Geno Smith in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks on Friday.

Per Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, one source explained the Raiders "simply weren't interested" in Rodgers before making the move for Smith.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported the Raiders were sending a 2025 third-round draft pick to Seattle in exchange for Smith.

Smith makes a lot of sense for the Raiders with Pete Carroll as their head coach. Carroll was one of Smith's biggest champions dating back to when he originally joined the Seattle Seahawks in 2019.

After Russell Wilson was traded to the Denver Broncos in March 2022, Smith took over as the starting quarterback. He resurrected his career that season, leading the Seahawks to the playoffs and winning Comeback Player of the Year.

There were some reports early in the offseason suggesting the Raiders could pursue Rodgers, but it never seemed like their interest was ever all that strong.

Rob Maaddi of the Associated Press reported on March 5 that Rodgers "would be" an option for Las Vegas only "if he could fit into offensive coordinator Chip Kelly's system."

The only obvious suitor for Rodgers at this point is the New York Giants. The Seahawks have a quarterback opening right now, but their efforts seem focused on Sam Darnold.

There's a quarterback opening with the Pittsburgh Steelers, as well, but Pelissero said on Friday's episode of The Rich Eisen Show (starts at 2:30 mark) that bringing back Justin Fields "appears to be plan A" for them, but Rodgers could wait to see what happens there.

New York made a strong push for Matthew Stafford in a trade before he decided to remain with the Los Angeles Rams. Neither the Giants nor Steelers currently have a quarterback under contract.

The Giants also have the ability to potentially draft a quarterback very early in the first round, with some thought they are looking to trade up to No. 1 overall for the purpose of selecting Cam Ward.

Drafting a quarterback doesn't necessarily preclude the Giants from also signing Rodgers, but they may not want to create any sort of competition for a rookie coming into the league.

Rodgers does benefit from the fact that free agency comes before the draft and the Giants haven't made a trade to acquire the top pick, so they might need to sign him him just an insurance policy.

Whatever happens with Rodgers will likely be determined on Monday when the legal tampering period begins. He threw for 3,897 yards, 28 touchdowns and completed 63.0 percent of his passes for the New York Jets last season.