Green Bay Packers

Why Is Nobody Mentioning Tennessee As A Possible Aaron Rodgers Destination?

Photo credit: Dan Powers (USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin)

There are two prominent potential suitors in the Aaron Rodgers sweepstakes, should he want out of Green Bay this offseason. The Denver Broncos and Pittsburgh Steelers. But there’s another fairly obvious candidate that isn’t being discussed at all: The Tennessee Titans.

For all the talk about the young, budding superstar quarterbacks in the AFC, the Titans walked away with the top seed this year. Like the Packers, they were one-and-done. In the divisional round, Tennessee caved to the Cincinnati Bengals behind three interceptions and a lousy performance from their quarterback, Ryan Tannehill. Still, most of the pieces are in place for Mike Vrabel‘s team. They are the definition of a team that is “a quarterback away.”

Derrick Henry is unlike any running back in the NFL. A.J. Brown has blossomed into a star wide receiver. They even went the extra mile last offseason by acquiring Julio Jones. The offense has almost every ingredient that a quarterback would desire, and they’ve given Tannehill every possible opportunity. This year, not winning a playoff game was disappointing for both the Titans and Packers. Of the two, only Tennessee would want to upgrade their quarterback. Enter Rodgers and his circumstances.

Denver has been rumored as a landing spot for Rodgers since last year. The Broncos have only added gasoline to the fire by hiring Packers’ offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett.

Ben Roethlisberger retired from the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Rodgers has long mentioned his love for Mike Tomlin. Like Tennessee, there is a lot in place for the Steelers on both sides of the ball. They also may just be a quarterback away. The thought of Rodgers distributing the ball to Chase Claypool, Diontae Johnson, Najee Harris, and Pat Freiermuth is a dream scenario for anyone with a Terrible Towel in their dresser. Both the Steelers and Broncos have been heavily discussed. But there’s a case to be made that the Titans would be an even better destination.

Pittsburgh hasn’t won a playoff game since 2016, and Denver hasn’t been to the postseason since that same year. Tennessee has been to the playoffs in three of the last four years and has gone 3-4 during that span. They’ve become a regular participant in January. The one thing they are missing is a quarterback that can match Joe Burrow, Patrick Mahomes, or Josh Allen — or at least come close to it. Rodgers solves that riddle and then some. The Broncos and Steelers may be a quarterback away, but they don’t have recent history on their side. The Titans do.

The one big holdup with a deal sending Rodgers to the Titans is the draft capital that would come back to Green Bay. Both Denver and Pittsburgh select far higher in the 2022 NFL Draft than the Titans. Tennessee would have to dip into future years with draft picks to meet the asking price. That and some current and proven talent on the roster could end up being enough. But it would be a tricky hurdle to overcome.

Tennessee could be the best destination for Rodgers to capture another ring outside Green Bay, but that doesn’t mean the Packers have to send him off to Nashville. It will spark a bidding war if Denver, Pittsburgh, or whoever else comes knocking with better offers.

Tennessee’s brain trust deserves a ton of credit for surrounding Tannehill with all the talent he could want. It just hasn’t worked out. Now the AFC is loaded for the next decade with Burrow, Mahomes, Allen, and Justin Herbert. Tannehill won’t get the job done, but this is a Titans roster that has a window right now to try and capture a Super Bowl. Rodgers isn’t as young as those other four. But he’s still playing the position as well as anyone — at least in the regular season.

Denver and Pittsburgh will continue to be talked about as landing spots for Aaron Rodgers, but it’s time the Tennessee Titans get some of that attention.

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