It was the "wow" moment of the first night of the NFL Draft.
By trading up in the 2020 NFL Draft to select Jordan Love, the Green Bay Packers put Aaron Rodgers on the clock and accelerated the timeline to work in his successor at quarterback.
Speculation has run wild about how a succession plan will play out, much like it did 15 years ago when the Packers landed Rodgers late in the first round behind eventual Hall of Famer Brett Favre. Now it's Rodgers' turn to play the role of future Hall of Fame quarterback with his replacement on the roster.
Behind door number one is letting Rodgers' contract expire in four years. However, that will take the Packers through all but the final year of Love's contract, should they use a fifth-year option on him. So, that's probably unlikely.
A trade at some point could help the Packers recoup a draft pick or two, depending on which quarterback they trade and at what time in the next four years they do it. It's unlikely to happen during or before the 2020 season, and probably not happening in 2021 either.
A straight-up release would be devastating cap-wise in the next two years, while a trade would have some of the same effect. So realistically, and in the name of financial responsibility, it could be two more years of Rodgers before the Packers have to make a decision. By then, Love will be entering his third year, and Green Bay can move off from Rodgers' remaining contract at that point should they so choose.
Either way, media speculation is rampant about what the Packers will do next. Here's a sampling of takes from national media.
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