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Once upon a time in Broncos Country, there was a hope and a belief that Aaron Rodgers would come save Denver from the rotating carousel of retread or never would-be quarterbacks. From the moment he was hired on January 27, 2022 visions of Rodgers under center in the Mile High City hip-hop danced in our heads. With all the animus Rodgers had for his situation in Green Bay, surely he would follow his friend and they would rain down football glory upon Broncos Country.
On March 8, 2022 all those Rodgers to Denver hopes vanished when Rodgers elected to stay a Packer. Almost immediately, the Broncos pulled the trigger on an infamous trade with Seattle that brought Russell Wilson to Denver. Aaron Rodgers was not coming to play for the Broncos.
Who cares though, right? I mean Denver had Russell Freaking Wilson! Nathaniel Hackett’s “infections enthusiasm” and a new quarterback was all we needed to turn things around. Raise your hand if you had visions of the playoffs or better. No lying.
Needless to say, the 2022 season was probably the hardest in recent memory because those expectations going into the season were so high. The enthusiasm Hackett exuded turned out to be disjointed buffoonery. Russell Wilson had his own office, training staff, and other accommodations that made him as comfortable as he had ever been as a football player. If only comfort correlated with touchdowns.
Would 2022 have gone differently had Aaron Rodgers come to Denver instead of staying in Green Bay?
The offense, the coach, and the injuries all played a role in the craptastic Broncos finish in 2022. Sure, the hype would have been different and the coverage of certain distractions (high knees on the team plane) might not have been so viciously pointed. However, I would wager that the disaster of 2022 would have happened with or without Rodgers.
Nathaniel Hackett proved himself to be a bumbling incompetent early in the season and it that perception only degraded further as the season progressed. Let us never forget the fans at Mile High having to count down the play clock so the Broncos didn’t ring up yet another delay of game penalty.
Would Rodgers have improved things that dramatically? We’ll find out when Hackett and Rodgers team up under head coach Robert Saleh this season. The Jets will get to run the Rodgers experiment with benefit of competent leadership. Without having to worry about play clock, game situations, etc., will Hackett have the tools that he needs to guide his friend Aaron to NFL success in 2023?
Headlines:
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Jerry Jones: I won't tell you what we'll do in the draft because I don't know - ProFootballTalk
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John Lynch says 49ers won't listen if teams call with Nick Bosa trade offers - ProFootballTalk
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With the 2023 NFL Draft just days away, Cynthia Frelund identifies four Round 1 trade scenarios that would be win-win for both teams involved. Could the Rams move up and choose a prospect in the first-round for the first time since 2016?
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GM Brian Gutekunst says Packers not looking to rebuild
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2024 Super Bowl odds: Jets jump into top 10 after Aaron Rodgers trade; Chiefs, 49ers NFL title favorites - CBSSports.com
A look at the 2024 Super Bowl odds for all 32 teams following Rodgers' move to the Big Apple
Ryan Tannehill trade rumors: Teams believe Titans QB is available; three logical landing spots - CBSSports.com
A look at where the former Pro Bowler could be headed
Aaron Rodgers blockbuster trade: Why QB will have to defy NFL history if he wants to get Jets to Super Bowl - CBSSports.com
Plenty of other greats have tried, and all have failed
Aaron Rodgers trade: New Jets QB to wear No. 8 despite Joe Namath letting him use retired No. 12, per report - CBSSports.com
Looks like Aaron Rodgers is not taking the Jets legend up on his offer
Titans have lost faith in Malik Willis just one season after taking him in NFL Draft's third round, per report - CBSSports.com
Willis was a third-round pick in 2022
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