Latest Aaron Rodgers News Is Exactly What The Bears Want

Bob McGinn of Go Long stated a few days ago his firm belief that the Green Bay Packers are done with Aaron Rodgers. There is no way the team will go into 2023 with him as the starting quarterback. They believe Jordan Love is the next great one and want to move on. Well, it appears little confirmation has come out regarding that report. Quite the opposite. Jeff Darlington of ESPN dropped a bombshell of his own on Wednesday when he declared via a "very important Packers source" that Rodgers would be returning as the quarterback in Green Bay for another year.

Chicago Bears fans have mixed emotions about this. It means yet another year of Rodgers possibly rubbing his dominance in their faces. However, there are other reasons to think this development is the exact outcome their organization was hoping for.

1. It gives the Bears a chance to get some revenge before he is finally gone.
2. Green Bay allowing him to return means Love probably isn't the next big thing.
3. Rodgers staying keeps the team in a perpetual salary cap crunch.
4. It keeps him away from other QB-needy teams.

That last one is the most pivotal.

The Chicago Bears benefit most from him staying put.

Everybody knows the odds are high that GM Ryan Poles wants to trade the #1 overall pick. To do that, he needs a strong market of teams interested in moving up. The best way for that to happen is if most of the ones picking in the top 10 fail to secure a veteran alternative. That includes Houston (#2), Indianapolis (#4), Las Vegas (#7), Atlanta (#8), and Carolina (#9). When Tom Brady retired, it took one of the biggest pieces off the board. That left Rodgers and Derek Carr as the only two names likely to be available. Lamar Jackson and Daniel Jones should be franchise tagged. Geno Smith is likely returning to Seattle.

By staying in Green Bay, Aaron Rodgers would leave Carr as the only veteran worth signing as a legitimate alternative. Right now, it looks like a two-team race between the Saints and Jets to land him. Both picking outside the top 10, so they're inconsequential. After that, it becomes a question of whether teams think they can get by with names like Jimmy Garoppolo or Baker Mayfield. That seems unlikely. Once Rodgers and Carr are officially off the board, expect a massive pivot to the draft. Phones should start ringing like crazy by then.