The LA Chargers should be ready to play Aaron Rodgers twice a year
By Jason Reed
The LA Chargers are set at the quarterback position. The team drafted Justin Herbert with the second overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and the former Oregon Duck set just about every rookie record there is to set. Yet still, Herbert is not the best quarterback and it is not close… yet.
That honor goes to Patrick Mahomes, who has the best start to a career in NFL history and already has a Super Bowl under his belt. The hope for Chargers fans is that Herbert and Mahomes can battle it out for years and that Herbert can get the better of him from time to time.
If the chips fall a certain way, Herbert might not even be the second-best quarterback in the AFC West, at least for the time being. Reigning NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers is reportedly done with the Green Bay Packers and wants out.
Somewhere Jon Gruden is smiling.
Should the LA Chargers be worried about Aaron Rodgers joining the Las Vegas Raiders?
I have to be honest guys, Aaron Rodgers in Las Vegas makes a whole lot of sense. I know that over half the league is going to want Aaron Rodgers and there are going to be countless articles about which fit is really the best fit.
The Raiders really do seem like the best fit, for multiple reasons.
First of all, Gruden is a noted admirer of the quarterback position and Derek Carr is likely not his version of an ideal quarterback. Aaron Rodgers is everyone’s version of an ideal quarterback and Gruden has not had a great quarterback since he took over the Raiders.
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Carr makes sense as a trade possibility. He does have two more years under contract but he can be released next offseason with no dead cap hit the following season. He could go back to Green Bay in the deal and be the one-year insurance option for Jordan Love and still keep the team somewhat competitive.
Rodgers then gets to be the face of Las Vegas. A city with a football team that has only been there for one year and needs a superstar. A face of Vegas sports. Someone to plaster all over the strip, with widespread, mainstream appeal.
Tell me that Aaron Rodgers isn’t going to love the bright lights of Las Vegas. As a brand new sports city, with a ton of money, Rodgers is going to get countless endorsements and truly set up his post-playing career.
There is a reason why the Raiders were on Russell Wilson’s list and why they are also reportedly on Rodgers’ list. Being the face of Las Vegas is extremely valuable.
Finally, the Raiders are the perfect amount of desperate. They see Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs and the upcoming threat of Justin Herbert and the LA Chargers. Carr is underrated, but he is not good enough to surpass either Mahomes or Herbert.
It’s also very hard to pivot from Carr into a legitimate quarterback who can be good now. Rodgers presents that opportunity.
If it is not the Las Vegas Raiders then it could be the Denver Broncos. There was speculation that the Broncos would push for Rodgers and it makes great sense from a quarterback standpoint. Drew Lock is not great, Teddy Bridgewater is a one-year insurance option and the team did not draft a quarterback.
They have solid pass-catching weapons and a good defense. They are the quarterback position away from being a Super Bowl contender. However, it does feel like the Raiders would be more desperate and send a better package.
I guess we will see.
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How long he can be this version of Aaron Rodgers is unclear but one thing is certain: there seems to be a good chance that the LA Chargers will play Aaron Rodgers twice a year.