Column: Raiders can’t afford to lose Aaron Rodgers to Broncos

I’m not sure anyone knows what weighing all options means, other than considering the television mute button when Kings of Leon flashes across your screen to open an NFL draft.

But when it comes to the Raiders and a possible interest in trading for Aaron Rodgers, it should have them exploring every last recourse.

Rodgers on Thursday managed to upstage all that was the draft’s opening round when it was reported the league’s reigning Most Valuable Player wants out of Green Bay.

Those same reports suggested he would prefer landing with one of three franchises: San Francisco, Denver and … the Raiders.

“Aaron Rodgers is under contract to another team,” Raiders general manager Mike Mayock said after Thursday’s first round. “I can’t talk about him.”

A person close to the team when asked about Rodgers before the draft told the Review-Journal the Raiders were “weighing all options.”

Not about Carr

One part many don’t understand: Raiders coach Jon Gruden and Mayock could be just as enamored with starter Derek Carr as they have always claimed and still want like anything to trade for Rodgers.

Carr is entering his eighth season and is among the top 12 or so quarterbacks in the NFL. He’s not the reason the Raiders have won just 19 games under Gruden the last three years.

Carr, however, really has nothing to do with this narrative.

Why? Because we’re talking about Aaron Rodgers

First, a stark reality to these sorts of reports: Making a deal for a Hall of Fame quarterback coming off one of the best seasons in his illustrious career is hardly accomplished with a phone call. I’m not even sure how or if the Raiders could make the money part work. There are always ways.

But there has never been a returning MVP traded the following season. This would be historically new territory. It would also take more hoops to jump though than anything seen at a circus.

Also, what in the world would the Packers want in return?

There might not be a Rodgers Rate in those State Farm Commercials, but you known there is a gigantic one for whichever team might trade for him.

It was reported that the 49ers made a pre-draft offer of quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and a collection of other players and draft picks. One of the latter was a No. 3 overall selection Thursday night, which San Francisco used on North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance.

Which makes sense if, as reported, the Packers swiftly declined the original offer.

Which makes even more sense.

If there is any veracity to the idea Green Bay is listening to offers for Rodgers, it would seem unlikely he would be shipped to another NFC franchise. You really want to trade Rodgers and then perhaps meet him in, say, a conference championship?

What would be far more intriguing is an AFC West battle between the Raiders and Broncos for his services.

If you want to talk about possibly driving up a price point, consider being in those two camps and owning the idea you might lose out to the other.

Kansas City has Patrick Mahomes at quarterback. The Chargers have a rising star in Justin Herbert. And one of the other two division teams might possibly add Rodgers?

Moving big names

You don’t want to be the one who loses out there, because reaching the playoffs might then become a near impossible exercise for the foreseeable future.

It’s not as if these things never happen in sports. Patrick Roy to the Avalanche. Alex Rodriguez to the Yankees. Manny Ramirez to the Dodgers. Kevin Garnett to the Celtics. Wayne Gretzky to the Kings. Herschel Walker to the Vikings. Yes, even Antonio Brown to the Raiders. Huge names get moved for a variety of reasons.

And now, maybe even an unhappy 37-year-old Aaron Rodgers coming off an MVP season in which he threw for 4,299 yards with 48 touchdowns and five interceptions.

This might have been over before it even began for the Raiders.

Or there just might be some serious weighing of options.

Ed Graney is a Sigma Delta Chi Award winner for sports column writing and can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4618. He can be heard on “The Press Box,” ESPN Radio 100.9 FM and 1100 AM, from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday. Follow @edgraney on Twitter.