Aaron Rodgers is on his way out of New York. The Jets plan to part ways with the veteran quarterback, leaving the future Hall of Famer searching for his third NFL home.
Rodgers, long associated with the Green Bay Packers—the team that made him a first-round draft pick in 2005—has spent the past two seasons with the Jets. He was injured early during his 2023 campaign, and his most recent campaign was largely unremarkable.
NBC Sports writer Logan Reardon recently penned a feature for NBC Sports Boston, identifying five teams that could pursue the former MVP and Super Bowl champion. Among them were the San Francisco 49ers. However, Reardon expressed skepticism about Rodgers' chances of heading to the Bay Area.
"The 49ers famously passed on Rodgers for Alex Smith with the No. 1 pick back in 2005," Reardon wrote. "Twenty years later, could San Francisco bring the Bay Area kid home? Brock Purdy is extension-eligible with one year left on his rookie deal. Maybe, just maybe, the 49ers think this team needs a veteran QB to get over the hump?"
The 49ers have publicly committed to Purdy as their franchise quarterback. Soon, they'll back that commitment with a long-term contract, expected to be the largest in franchise history and one of the biggest in the NFL.
"Listen, I think what we know about Brock is that he's our guy," general manager John Lynch said in January. "We have interest in Brock being around here for a long, long time. He's done so much for our organization."
Head coach Kyle Shanahan added, "And we're capable of winning a Super Bowl with him. We just almost did. And I know he's capable of getting the Niners a Super Bowl in the future."
At 25 years old, Purdy is still developing within Shanahan's offense. In 2023, he threw for a single-season franchise record 4,280 passing yards.
Meanwhile, Rodgers, now 41, is nearing the end of his career. His options are more limited than they would have been years ago.
"If this were five years ago, the 49ers would be all over it," Reardon added. "But Rodgers hasn't played as well as Purdy in years. Even though the team will have to pay up to re-sign him, it beats the alternative of signing Rodgers for a year or two and then starting over again. The only way that Rodgers realistically goes to the 49ers is if he's Purdy's backup, which is unlikely to interest him."