If there is one person working harder to create a trade than the Atlanta front office, it is veteran free agent quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The veteran took time this last week for his usual sit-down with ESPN and Pat McAfee and made a number of interesting comments. Among the headlines created was Rodgers offering the story of how the Jets opted to tell the veteran they were moving. What should have been a wake-up call for an aging player was instead taken offense to and used weeks later to air grievances with an organization that appeared to give Rodgers everything the veteran had asked for.
Furthering the head-scratching commentary was Rodgers' thoughts on his future. We are days away from the 2025 NFL Draft, and the quarterback still doesn't know his future. The veteran continues to hold the Steelers hostage, who just might find themselves stuck with Mason Rudolph. If that is the case, it is very much on the board that a desperation trade for Kirk Cousins could happen.
Aaron Rodgers is helping Kirk's trade chances in what continues to be a frustrating arc
The Steelers actually want to sign up for the sideshow that Rodgers has become speaks to how desperate the franchise is. It is perhaps also telling of just how little trade value Cousins currently has. Still, if there is any player who could make Cousins look like an attractive starting option, it is Rodgers. If the veteran retires or the deal with Pittsburgh falls through, Atlanta could find themselves finally presented with a deal for their veteran quarterback.
Rodgers spent the last two seasons with New York after a bad ending in Green Bay. It has been three years since we've seen the quarterback consistently play at a high level. This serves as yet another reminder of what an outlier Tom Brady was. The veteran was older than Rodgers when he won his final Super Bowl in Tampa Bay. It has broken many pundits' brains into believing this is what an aging quarterback is supposed to look like.
In truth, Rodgers' late career failures are to be expected even from the greatest. Rarely do you get to see a legend write a happy ending. It is a small piece of why John Elway, Peyton Manning, and Tom Brady are remembered so fondly. Rarer are top athletes who are still able to recognize where they are in their careers and accept lesser roles. This is where Rodgers finds himself, and the lack of self-awareness continues to make the quarterback an unattractive target and perhaps, in the process, aid Atlanta's hopes of shedding Kirk Cousins.