Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers spent four days in darkness. It’s now time for him to shed some light on his future.
Although the new league year doesn’t begin until March 15, the Packers and any interested teams need to know what Rodgers is doing, so that alternative plans can be made.
The Packers don’t need to know for their own purposes. If Rodgers will retire or ask to play elsewhere, they’ll pivot to Jordan Love. If he’s going to play for a new team, the new team will need to work out a trade with the Packers, in lieu of making other arrangements.
It all points to next week in Indianapolis, when all teams and agents gather for the Scouting Combine. The Jets, for example, need to know whether they’ll be acquiring Rodgers or signing Derek Carr. If Carr has a bird in the hand with a team like the Saints, he may not wait to see whether he’ll Plan B for the NYJ.
Other teams may be lurking for Rodgers. The Raiders have generated plenty of speculation, even though Rodgers’s idiosyncrasies may not mesh with Patriot Way West. And maybe Rodgers will have his eyes on an NFC team, which could require some delicate maneuverings to get the Packers to trade him there.
Step one is whether Rodgers will play at all. Step two is whether he’ll play for the Packers. Step three, if it gets that far, needs to get resolved sooner than later.
It needs to get resolved by next week, as a practical matter.