Only two teams remain standing in the 2020 NFL season, but boy has the drama around the league been turned up a notch. Not only do we have Super Bowl LV right around the corner, but quarterback trade rumors are flying around like birds! To honor the activity, we've pulled off our own trade, right here in the Pick Six Newsletter, swapping out John Breech for Cody Benjamin, yours truly. Don't worry, though; if you're a big fan of John, he'll be back tomorrow, in exchange for a conditional seventh-round pick.
Now let's get to it. (And please, do yourself a favor and make sure you're signed up to receive this newsletter every day! You don't want to miss our daily offerings of everything you need to know around the NFL.)
We've got early Super Bowl predictions, Aaron Rodgers trade speculation, all-new mock drafts and much more:
- Today's show: What happens with Aaron Rodgers, other veteran QBs?
The 2021 offseason is quickly shaping up to be the Offseason of the Quarterback. A year after 2020 free agency gave us unprecedented movement for established, veteran signal-callers, this year's crop of potentially available QBs looks to be even bigger and bolder. From Matthew Stafford to Jared Goff to Deshaun Watson, there are something like a dozen, if not more, big names who could be on the move in the next month or two. None is arguably bigger than Aaron Rodgers, who's downplayed speculation about a split from Green Bay but reportedly wants a new contract and has hinted at playing elsewhere before.
On Wednesday's Pick Six NFL Podcast (listen and subscribe!), Brady Quinn joined Will Brinson to break down the biggest veteran QBs who could be headed for new homes, and Quinn posed that Rodgers' play for a new deal could set him up well both in Green Bay and beyond his Packers tenure, whether that comes in 2021, 2022 or later: "I don't know that he's gonna get $45 million per year, but I do think he's gonna get some substantial number for at least a few years," he said. "And I think you've gotta play the good soldier if you wanna go into these conversations and try to work out that deal. If next year ends up being the last year he's in Green Bay, you wanna do a deal now, with people you have the most equity built with. Get the deal ... that you want, (both) for the Packers and that future team."
2. Insider notes: If Rodgers truly wants out, he can get his wish
Speaking of Rodgers, CBS Sports NFL insider Jason La Canfora isn't so sure that speculated move out of Green Bay won't come in the next few months. Citing sources from around the league, La Canfora believes the relationship between Rodgers and coach Matt LaFleur, as well as team management, has been simmering for a while, with some believing the two sides are already approaching "irreparable" status. All in all, according to La Canfora, if Rodgers decides he wants out, there's no reason to believe he can't get his wish:
Rodgers possesses more than enough leverage to get out of Green Bay. With one simple word, if need be. Retirement. No one can force him to play his age-38 season in Green Bay. He can stay away as long as it takes and give (president Mark) Murphy a list of desired teams and see what he can get done before the league year starts in March. Want to delay the trade until after June 1 for cap purposes? Not a problem. No big deal. We just played a full season with no OTAs and barely any training camp and no preseason.
3. Agent's take: 2020 NFL Contract Awards, starring Tom Brady
Joel Corry, CBS Sports contributor and former agent and cap expert, decided to run through all the most notable contracts of the 2020 season and re-assess how well (or poorly) they've panned out for his eighth annual NFL Contract Awards. It's fitting that his Most Valuable Acquisition award belongs with one of the two teams set to play in the Super Bowl. Here's Corry on why the Buccaneers' big move for Tom Brady ranks as the best of the past year, even over the Buffalo Bills' trade for star receiver Stefon Diggs:
Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians was intent on upgrading at quarterback after going 7-9 in 2019 with Jameis Winston. Tampa Bay landed Brady with a fully guaranteed two-year, $50 million contract worth a maximum of $59 million with incentives. Getting Brady has paid immediate dividends. Brady was the catalyst for the Buccaneers transforming from playoff pretender to Super Bowl contender. A 13-year playoff drought ended by going 11-5 in the regular season to secure an NFC wild card playoff berth. Three straight road playoff wins have put the Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV.
4. Early Super Bowl pick: Chiefs edge Brady to repeat as champs
Did you hear? The Super Bowl is around the corner! We've all got plenty of time to change our minds about the big game, but if you're looking for an early prediction, we've got just that. Cody Benjamin has you covered with a breakdown of what both the Buccaneers and Chiefs have going for them in Super Bowl LV, then forecasts a second straight Kansas City title:
(Tom) Brady cannot be counted out. Period. But at the end of the day, the Chiefs are the Chiefs, and as hyperbolic as dynasty talk may have been after their last Super Bowl win, the reality is they all but went half-speed for much of 2020 and still ended up 14-2, cruising past the Bills in the AFC Championship Game with some of the league's most explosive playmakers. If it's fourth down at midfield, they're not going to play it safe, unlike the Saints and Packers, who matched up with Tampa Bay earlier this postseason. They're going to go for it all. And they, despite every effort from Brady, will do it again.
Pick: Chiefs 32, Buccaneers 28
5. Aaron Rodgers trade rumors: 49ers top five logical fits
Odds are Rodgers will be back with the Packers in 2021, perhaps with a new contract. But to discount the possibility of Rodgers forcing Green Bay's hand and finding a new home would be to dismiss all the signals he has been giving since the Pack drafted his likely successor ahead of the 2020 season. Let's just say he actually demands a move elsewhere and the Packers open their phone lines for offers. We ranked five of the most logical landing spots. No. 1 was a no-brainer: The San Francisco 49ers.
Rodgers and San Francisco are darn near a match made in heaven. The staff connections aren't overt, but Rodgers, remember, grew up less than three hours from the city. He's a California boy, through and through, and was a Niners fan growing up. Heck, the man thought he was going No. 1 to the 49ers during his infamous 2005 draft-day slide. Not only would the storylines be magnificent -- San Francisco finally embracing their true franchise QB, more than a decade later -- but the on-field fit would make sense.
6. Mock draft: Deshaun Watson, Matthew Stafford traded, Texans draft Zach Wilson
Speaking of QB drama, how about some more?! In his latest 2021 NFL mock draft, Chris Trapasso has several teams wheeling and dealing signal-callers. After a projected trade of Matthew Stafford to Washington, Trapasso has the Lions rebuilding their offense with star wide receiver J'Marr Chase, then predicts a Deshaun Watson trade to the Jets, with the Texans restocking their long-term QB spot with BYU's Zach Wilson. Sound nuts? That's why it deserves a read. Inside, you'll find even more trades and bold QB decisions, including the Carolina Panthers finding their own future franchise passer.
