Free agency started more than a month ago. Yet one player who still has not found a new home is four-time NFL MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
It's not by accident, either.
Rodgers, notorious for his need to be the center of attention, has intentionally dragged out this process while giving the media wishy-washy answers about where, if anywhere, he intends to sign. He is also 41 years old and a shell of his former self.
If the NFL collectively decides he's not worth the trouble anymore, it will be perfectly understandable.
For Washington Commanders fans observing the Rodgers soap opera from afar, only one takeaway comes to mind: thank everything holy for Jayden Daniels.
Just imagine if the Commanders were caught up in this mess. The team surely would have been had it not finally found its long-awaited face of the franchise with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Commanders had their fair share of quarterback drama before drafting Jayden Daniels
For years, if not decades, any veteran quarterback hitting the market would always wind up being linked to the Commanders. On a few occasions, management pounced on the opportunity.
The Alex Smith and Carson Wentz experiments did not go as anticipated. Though, in fairness to Smith, no one could have foreseen his devastating leg injury.
Further back, Donovan McNabb was a disaster in Washington. Other major recent quarterback moves around the league, such as those of Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson, were naturally grounds for speculation that the Commanders should pursue them during times when the team desperately needed a quality passer.
Fortunately, everything worked out well in the end. Adam Peters honed in on Daniels as the dynamic presence capable of spearheading this ambitious project. The early results couldn't have been more encouraging.
Rodgers' case is even more frustrating than most for any team negotiating with him. He is, not for the first time, handcuffing his potential suitors.
The Pittsburgh Steelers, for instance, must be operating with a contingency plan as the draft approaches based on whether Rodgers is or isn't going to be on their roster this season. Same goes for the Minnesota Vikings, who have seemed intent on moving forward with J.J. McCarthy as their signal-caller but supposedly remain in contact with the future Pro Football Hall of Famer.
Rodgers made it a point on the Pat McAfee show to deny that he has been "holding anyone hostage," but that sure appears to be exactly what he is doing. It's on brand, although the former first-round pick is reportedly dealing with a serious off-the-field matter.
It's unfortunate for all involved in the sweepstakes for his services. But for Washington, it's all the more reason to be grateful that the Commanders' long-time quarterback problem has finally been solved.
