A number of top NFL quarterbacks are likely on the move this coming offseason, and one NFL writer found a way to squeeze nearly all of them into one potential mega-deal that would likely be the biggest in the league’s history.
It appears that Deshaun Watson will be on the move after asking the Houston Texans to be traded, and Detroit Lions signal-caller Matthew Stafford has also asked for a trade, with his Detroit Lions reportedly agreeing to ship him out. There are a number of other quarterbacks rumored to be on the trade block if the price is right, with Aaron Rodgers the latest to be thrown into the rumor mill after he made some cryptic remarks about potentially leaving Green Bay.
“A lot of guys’ futures are uncertain, myself included,” Rodgers said of his team’s loss in the NFC Championship game, via the New York Post .
While there have been several rumors about where each quarterback could end up, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell was able to come up with a potential scenario where nearly all of them would be included in one blockbuster deal. While Barnwell cautioned that the Packers are almost guaranteed to keep Rodgers next season and Houston will likely do all it can to change Watson’s mind about leaving, he found a way to get all of them to different teams to start the 2021 season.
His proposal included the Packers, Texans, San Francisco 49ers, and New England Patriots. The deal, which NESN pegged as “crazy,” would have Green Bay taking Watson, the 49ers acquiring Rodgers, the Texans ending up with current Green Bay backup Jordan Love along with a series of first-round picks, and the Patriots reuniting with Jimmy Garoppolo. There were a series of other high and mid-round picks sprinkled in to match everything up.
While multi-team trades in the NFL are exceedingly rare compared to the NBA and MLB, the deal would find a way to land all the teams involved with a new starting quarterback. Many of the clubs mentioned will likely end up with new signal-callers next year, especially New England, which is expected to move on from Cam Newton after one uneven year with him as the starter. The future for the Patriots looks uncertain as Tom Brady’s former backup Jarrett Stidham also failed to impress in his more limited opportunities last season. There are indications that the team could make a play for Garoppolo if he were to become available, though it may not be a multi-team deal that brings about the trade.
