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The Broncos’ $95 million contract Aaron Rodgers’ gamble backfired in the most disastrous way possible
It’s finally finished. Aaron Rodgers has elected to return to the Green Bay Packers after weeks of speculation, rumors, trade discussion, and retirement talk. While this is fantastic news for the Packers, it is the worst-case situation for the Denver Broncos.
For the previous year or two, the Broncos have been the “other team” in the Rodgers sweepstakes, ever since the Packers quarterback first revealed his displeasure with the organization.
The Broncos have resurfaced in recent months, and John Elway and George Paton are as determined as ever to fix the quarterback issue.
But Rodgers is staying, leaving the Broncos searching for a replacement.
What makes matters worse is that Denver spent $95 million to entice Rodgers to come to Colorado, but he declined.
The Broncos went all-in on Aaron Rodgers, spending $95 million on wide receivers
The Broncos were willing to put everything on the line to land Rodgers.
Unfortunately for them, this did not occur.
During the season, Denver signed wide receivers Tim Patrick and Courtland Sutton to contract extensions, indicating that the team was preparing for a run at Rodgers in the same way that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers courted Tom Brady.
The Broncos then fired Vic Fangio and hired Nathaniel Hackett, the offensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers.
Following that, rumors about Rodgers moving to Denver intensified.
The Broncos were clearly desperate to get Rodgers, and if he was going to leave Green Bay, they were willing to pay a lot to get him.
The Broncos are now in a world of hurt, and their $95 million plan and hire of Hackett are being called into doubt.
They no longer have any other options.
It appeared to be a solid deal at the time, and Rodgers was undoubtedly interested in the Broncos until the very last second.
However, the Broncos’ dogged pursuit of the NFL MVP has now backfired spectacularly, forcing them to turn elsewhere.
According to reports, Russell Wilson is Plan B after Aaron Rodgers elected to stay put
The news about Rodgers shocked the whole NFL.
Rodgers is set to sign a $200 million contract, according to Ian Rapoport, though nothing has been confirmed as of yet.
Nonetheless, he is running back for the Packers, and the Broncos are focusing on a trade for Russell Wilson.
Wilson has long been rumored as a trade candidate for the Broncos, and he is the team’s second-best choice after Rodgers.
However, they are not optimistic about their chances of landing Wilson.
The Washington Commanders just offered the Seattle Seahawks a huge contract, but they turned it down.
As a result, the Broncos would likely need to outbid that offer. The question is whether they chose to do so or not.
The Broncos have a lot of assets available, but it appears the Commanders want a capable quarterback as part of a deal.
Drew Lock is the lone choice for the Broncos, which isn’t appealing to Seattle.
Nonetheless, the Broncos should go to whatever length to land Wilson, especially after their unsuccessful attempt to sign Rodgers.
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The news did not sit well with Broncos wide receiver Jerry Jeudy
Everyone knew it was going to be between the Broncos and the Packers.
As the days and weeks passed, it became increasingly likely that Rodgers would play at Lambeau Field in 2022.
However, concerns lately arose, and faith in the Broncos fan base was restored.
Now comes the heartbreak, as Denver WR Jerry Jeudy expressed his sentiments on Twitter.
After a fantastic career at Alabama, Jeudy was anticipated to be a WR1 in the NFL.
However, he spent the majority of his first two seasons alongside Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater.
Of course, Jeudy desired Rodgers’ visit to Denver.
Adding the NFL MVP would have vaulted the Broncos to the top of the AFC, though competing in the AFC West with Justin Herbert and Patrick Mahomes would have been difficult.
Acquiring Wilson would mitigate the impact, but the chances of doing so are remote.
So there aren’t many options in free agency, and Jameis Winston is the best quarterback available this time.
Rodgers’ dream of moving to Denver is finally ended, and the Broncos are left wondering what may have been.
Pro Football Reference provided the statistics.
If Aaron Rodgers remains with the Packers, the Denver Broncos have four free-agent quarterback options.
