The Los Angeles Rams are the talk of the NFL after reportedly agreeing to terms on a blockbuster trade for Matthew Stafford, but if everything went according to their plans, they would've ended up with an even bigger name under center. Appearing on NFL Network Sunday night to discuss the Rams' deal for Stafford, the Los Angeles Times' Sam Farmer said the team originally tried to trade for Packers star Aaron Rodgers, but Green Bay simply refused to entertain the idea.
"They wanted to upgrade from Jared Goff," Farmer said. "They felt like there were a certain number of quarterbacks who could do that. I think Deshaun Watson was out of their price range. They made a run at Aaron Rodgers, and the Packers were adamant that they weren't trading him."
While the news isn't necessarily surprising, considering how much Rams brass openly hinted at seeking an upgrade over Goff in 2021, it still rings loud in the wake of Rodgers' reported discontent in Green Bay. The Packers, for what it's worth, have repeatedly and publicly expressed faith in Rodgers as the club's QB of the near and even distant future, with Rodgers himself recently suggesting there's little reason he won't return in 2021. But the QB notably questioned his own future with the team after the Packers' NFC Championship loss and is reportedly unhappy with his current contract, leading to speculation about his availability.
There's also Rodgers' California connection. While it's clear Green Bay is serious about retaining No. 12 -- or simply didn't generate enough substantive trade proposals from the Rams -- Rodgers was born and raised on the West Coast, home of the Rams. In the end, L.A. targeting him as a potential Goff replacement will likely remain in the "what-could-have-been" file, with Rodgers' old NFC North rival in Stafford heading to the Rams instead.
