Even after ending his holdout and dropping the thought of retirement, the Aaron Rodgers saga is still the biggest story in the sports world.
Everyone seems hellbent on figuring out what will happen between Rodgers and the not-so-bright executives in the Packers front office.
That apparently includes a former teammate of Rodgers in Green Bay, who claims he knows what team the reigning NFL MVP will play for in 2022.
When Aaron Rodgers ended his holdout and returned to the Packers to be their quarterback in 2021, many speculated that Rodgers, not the Packers, was the first one to blink in the standoff between the two.
However, as time has gone on and more reports have surfaced, the reality of the situation has proved to be the exact opposite.
Rodgers was able to force a notoriously complacent and cheap front office to make a few roster moves that give Rodgers more weapons, like bringing back wide receiver Randall Cobb.
Plus, the future Hall of Famer was able to get his contract restructured, getting himself more money upfront while also cutting the final year (2023) off the contract.
And to top it all off, reports have indicated that Rodgers also secured a verbal agreement from the Packers front office to trade him after the upcoming season if he just played for them this season.
That all allows Aaron Rodgers to have a chance at a second Super Bowl with Green Bay this season, while also getting his wish of being able to pick the final destination of his career.
Obviously, when there are reports that a player, especially one of Aaron Rodgers caliber and stature, will be traded at some point, the entire world begins to speculate about where they will end up.
And apparently, Rodgers’ former teammates aren’t immune to curiosity and speculation either.
In a recent interview with TMZ, former Packers cornerback Will Blackmon, who played with Rodgers in Green Bay from 2006 to 2009 and claims to still have a good relationship with his former teammate, revealed that he believes Rodgers will play for the New Orleans Saints in 2022.
“Next year, Aaron Rodgers will be a New Orleans Saint,” Blackmon said. “I can see Aaron Rodgers being a New Orleans Saint next year.”
Obviously, with the retirement of future Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees, the Saints would love nothing more than to add Rodgers to their roster for 2022.
As of now, the Saints top two quarterbacks are Jameis Winston, who has a 28-42 career record as a starter and was released by Tampa Bay after throwing a league-leading 30 interceptions in 2019, and Taysom Hill, who has played various other positions far more often for the Saints over his four NFL seasons than he has quarterback.
That’s clearly not an ideal quarterback situation for any team, so if neither of those guys can step up and earn head coach Sean Payton’s trust, the Saints will definitely be looking for someone like Rodgers sooner rather than later.
However, Rodgers was pushing for a trade throughout his holdout, and according to the reports that came out at that time, the Saints were not among the teams Rodgers had listed as those he would be willing to play for.
Rodgers’ list always included teams, like the 49ers, Raiders, and Broncos, that were further west and closer to his hometown in California.
Needless to say, that doesn’t mean Rodgers wouldn’t want to team up with a coach of Payton’s caliber.
Like everything with Aaron Rodgers over the course of this offseason, we’re just going to have to wait and see how this one plays out.
Sports with Balls will keep you up-to-date on any developments to this ongoing story.
