NFL Betting Update: Broncos favorites to sign unsettled Rodgers

It’s not very often that we talk about not one but two of the best quarterbacks in the NFL leaving the game when they’re playing their best football.

Tom Brady announced his retirement last week. Brady, having won his seventh Super Bowl championship just a season ago, was eliminated in the Divisional Round of the playoffs and retired. Brady was in the MVP conversation this season along with Aaron Rodgers.

Rodgers is the front-runner to win the MVP after yet another amazing season, but his time in Green Bay looks to have run its course. Rodgers has been very vocal about his desire for the Packers to commit to him long term, and while he is playing at the best level we have ever seen him at, the Packers are still hesitant to ink him to a long deal. The Packers thought they had drafted Rodgers’ replacement two seasons ago, but that has only sparked him to keep getting better and better. Rodgers takes incredible care of his body and, like Brady, seems to be getting better with age.

The odds for Rodgers to open the 2022 season on the Packers are +170 despite him being under contract and stating his love for Green Bay. Rodgers’ disdain is certainly because of the front office’s reluctance to keep him longer term. He has been the starting quarterback in Green Bay since 2008, and this is the first time there is serious doubt on him coming back.

With a real likelihood that Rodgers and the Packers will part ways this offseason, there’s no better time to check out the latest odds on where the star QB might end up.

Denver Broncos

-149.99 at Bovada

The Denver Broncos are the favorite to land Aaron Rodgers at -149.99 odds. The Broncos have been in this position before; in 2012, when they were ready to compete and just needed a quarterback, the team signed Peyton Manning that offseason after the Colts drafted Andrew Luck. The Broncos would go on to appear in two Super Bowls, winning one with Manning under contract.

The Broncos find themselves in a very similar situation entering this offseason. They surprised a lot of people last year but ultimately fell by the wayside as they parted ways with Vic Fangio at the end of the season. The Broncos quarterback position has been a carousel since Manning’s retirement after Super Bowl 50. Brett Rypien, Jeff Driskel, Brandon Allen, Joe Flacco, Case Keenum, Brock Osweiler, Paxton Lynch, Trevor Seimien, Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater have all had chances to lock down the spot, but the Broncos still haven’t found their guy.

After parting ways with Fangio, the Broncos looked to make a splash in the head coaching pool. The Broncos are built to win right now, but they need a head coach and quarterback to do so. They hired Nathaniel Hackett, who is known to be a favorite of Rodgers. As if the veteran QB needed any more reason to consider the Broncos as a possibility, they went and hired his offensive coordinator to help their cause.

The Broncos have one of the best receiving cores in all of football with Jerry Jeudy, Cortland Sutton, and Tim Patrick. They have a solid running-back group with Javonte Williams and Melvin Gordon and a great defense highlighted by Patrick Surtain. The Broncos are young and ready to win, and the addition of the Hackett and Rodgers duo will immediately lift them into Super Bowl contention.

Pittsburgh Steelers

+600 at Bovada

There is no organization more devoted to winning than the Pittsburgh Steelers, but they are perhaps the most loyal as well. The Steelers have +600 odds with the top football betting operators to be Aaron Rodgers’ next team, and it makes sense.

The whole reason for Rodgers to contemplate leaving Green Bay is because he feels that he has been loyal to them and they should return the favor. If Rodgers were to get onto the Steelers, that is surely something he would not have to worry about for the remainder of his career. Once the Steelers commit to someone, they are committed for good.

Mike Tomlin has been the epitome of a Steelers coach, as he has never had a losing season since being hired in 2007. Tomlin’s longevity and his proven philosophies make this another attractive destination for Rodgers. No matter the team that Tomlin is put in charge of, he finds a way to get the best out of them. Ben Roethlisberger looked like he should have retired two years ago, but Tomlin still found a way to get the Steelers into the playoffs in Roethlisberger’s last year.

Tomlin aside, the Steelers have a very good team. They’re known for their ability to hit on draft picks, and if there is one organization Rodgers should trust to put a contending team around him, it would be the Steelers.

Who else might sign Aaron Rodgers?

There are a slew of other teams that have odds to land Aaron Rodgers this offseason, with the Miami Dolphins (+750), Indianapolis Colts (+1000), Las Vegas Raiders (+1400), Cleveland Browns, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, and Tennessee Titans (all +1600) all quoted by the top NFL betting sites. While none of these teams seem likely to trade for him, the decision remains up to Rodgers and all of them have attractive qualities to them.

For all the talk about where Rodgers could end up next season, the possibility also remains that he could just retire. Rodgers has made plenty of money and has accomplished so much in the NFL. It would certainly be a blow to the NFL if the top two in MVP betting would retire in the same offseason, but Rodgers has not ruled out that possibility. He has said on many occasions that he does not need to keep playing and has other interests outside of football that he is still young enough to pursue.

Rodgers’ ability does not look like it is declining anytime soon, as he takes great care of his mind and body while proving year by year that he will age very well. The Packers need to come to their senses and realize what they have before they lose it. There are certain exceptions to every rule and Rodgers is that exception. However, if Rodgers does indeed change teams, he will make whatever team he goes to an immediate contender to win the Super Bowl. The possibilities are endless and it should be very entertaining to watch how it plays out.