Aaron Rodgers Confesses to Entertaining an Offer to Play for Las Vegas Raiders
NFL stalwart Aaron Rodgers isn't technically a free agent yet. However, with his relationship with the Green Bay Packers being strained and the potential Hall of Fame quarterback contemplating retirement or joining a different team, his upcoming decision is one of the biggest questions facing this offseason.
The Las Vegas Raiders seem keen on Rodgers' services. The Raiders' inaugural three seasons in Nevada haven't been as successful as they had hoped. They've only managed one winning season since moving from Oakland to Las Vegas and have been embroiled in quite a bit of drama since setting up shop in Sin City. Their former coach, Jon Gruden, stepped down in 2021 following revelations of him sending offensive emails. In the same year, Henry Ruggs III, a former wide receiver for the team, was charged with DUI-related vehicular manslaughter. His legal case is still ongoing.
The Raiders are hoping for stability from the top, believing they've found it in coach Josh McDaniels and General Manager Dave Ziegler, despite their poor performance in 2022. The team's ownership is positive about the 2023-24 NFL season but continues its search for a franchise quarterback after allowing other teams to meet with former starting quarterback Derek Carr. It appears Raiders owner Mark Davis is ready for a new quarterback. The team has one week left to either trade Carr or release him from his contract.
A Rare Chance
The possibility of signing a Super Bowl-winning quarterback who's been MVP of the NFL four times doesn't come around often. Apart from Tom Brady leaving the New England Patriots in 2020, Rodgers potentially departing Green Bay for another team is one of the most anticipated moments in recent NFL history.
Last week, Rodgers participated in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, which he and PGA Tour partner Ben Silverman won. Rodgers confessed that he heard from several fans at the golf tournament who hoped he would join their NFL team next season.
"In the past, there have been a couple of years when we were knocked out of the playoffs by the [San Francisco] Niners, and then I went and played at Pebble, and those years were pretty rough, I'd say, with the crowd. A lot of Niners jeers and other well-timed insults," Rodgers said on "The Pat McAfee Show," a popular YouTube sports program hosted by former NFL punter Pat McAfee.
"This year was a lot more positive," Rodgers continued. "The sentiment was very positive, people wanting me to get traded to their team, and the Raiders fans were probably the most vocal and the most numerous."
Rodgers holds the single-season record for passer rating at 122.5 (2011), the lowest interception percentage in a regular season (0.3%, 2018), and the longest streak without throwing an interception (402 passes).
Rodgers is a ten-time Pro Bowl selection and ranks ninth all-time in total passing with 59,055 yards.
Super Bowl Strategy
Rodgers plans to embark on a four-night "darkness retreat" where he'll take some time to reflect on his future. He intends to watch Sunday's Super Bowl LVII between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs before entering his period of solitude.
As for the Super Bowl, the Eagles are slightly favored by a point and a half, and the over/under is holding steady around 51 points.