49ers must go all-in on Aaron Rodgers this offseason

The history between the 49ers and Packers QB Aaron Rodgers began at the 2005 NFL Draft. It is time for Rodgers and the Niners to finally unite.

The time has come for the Aaron Rodgers and San Francisco 49ers saga to come full circle, and the Niners must propose a trade to land the reigning back-to-back NFL MVP during the 2022 NFL offseason.

Rodgers won’t come cheap. But if he and the Green Bay Packers are ultimately destined for dissolution, as the Packers won’t be able to be anywhere near as good in 2022 as they were last season, a deal might be easier to manage than originally thought.

Especially if Rodgers has any say where he winds up playing.

49ers trade proposition for Aaron Rodgers

General manager John Lynch should offer quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and two second-round draft picks to the Packers in order to bring Rodgers back home to the Bay Area. This trade would allow the Packers to initiate their rebuild while giving them a quarterback who will put them into a position to still be competitive.

That’s the base level offer. Not where the team draws the line on an offer to Green Bay.

The 2021 Niners didn’t reach their intended goal of hoisting the Lombardi Trophy and netting their illustrious sixth championship. Watching their NFC West rivals, the Los Angeles Rams, make huge front-office transactions to aid them in advancing to the Super Bowl, while simultaneously defeating San Francisco in the NFC Championship game, is further throwing salt into the wound.

This should force the 49ers to take a hard look at their previous personnel decisions as well as their future in order to level up.

Wins against the Rams earlier in the regular season, then the Packers and Dallas Cowboys in the playoffs, show that glory isn’t all that far from the horizon.

There couldn’t have been a more opportunistic time, with NFL legend Tom Brady retiring, leaving the door wide open for many teams to finally reach their championship goals.

49ers can heal their gaffe on Aaron Rodgers from 2005 NFL Draft

The saga began on April 23, 2005, when the only three quarterbacks selected in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft were Alex Smith, Rodgers, and Jason Campbell.

The team Rodgers grew up rooting for, the 49ers, elected to select Smith with the first overall pick, and Rodgers was later picked 24th by the Packers with a sour taste left in his mouth.

An added dimension to the Rodgers-Niners saga took place on Jan. 22, 2022, when San Francisco defeated the top-seeded Packers in the divisional round of the playoffs. With his record dwindling to a whopping 0-4 against the 49ers in the postseason, it would be an understatement to say he’s had minimal real success against them.

Jimmy G’s volatile play following Super Bowl LIV, along with seemingly regular injuries, prompted San Francisco to make an aggressive decision and trade up to the third overall pick in the 2021 draft to select quarterback Trey Lance.

That creates a situation for the 49ers, but while head coach Kyle Shanahan has stated Lance is “our guy” to lead the franchise into the future, he’s also stated “there’s a chance for anything,” and in Garoppolo’s case, it’s pretty clear that the Niners no longer believe he is their guy.

Why 49ers should prioritize a trade for Aaron Rodgers

The Niners are legitimately ready to win their sixth title right now. They currently have excellent pieces in place with a thriving run game along with All-Pro tight end George Kittle and the electric wide receiver Deebo Samuel on the offensive side of the ball.

On the defensive side of the ball, with one of the best linebackers in the NFL in Fred Warner, the front seven anchors the defense and has the potential to be problematic for years to come.

The 49ers are in a position where if they were able to trade for and plug in a quarterback of Rodgers’ magnitude, their offense would be unstoppable imminently.

Another interesting dynamic is the fact Rodgers could be a quasi-packaged deal, meaning wherever he decides to go, Packers wide receivers who will be free agents this offseason, such as Davante Adams and Marquis Valdes-Scantling may follow.

Lynch must be aggressive and put thinking caps to figure out a route to get this trade in motion.

Rodgers has made it clear he is eager to win his second title right now, as he stated he does not “want to be a part of a rebuild.”

Should he choose to accept a trade and go back home to play for San Francisco, he could have a chance to have a special full-circle moment once he hoists that Lombardi Trophy, earning San Francisco its sixth championship.