With news of a pending split between Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets coming to light during Super Bowl weekend, the Cleveland Browns should be wary of pursuing the future Hall of Fame quarterback.
It’s hardly a secret that the Cleveland Browns are on an impassioned search for their next quarterback this offseason. That answer could come in various forms.
Cleveland could sign a veteran signal caller, attempt to revive a QB project gone wrong, or it could draft a rookie. The Browns could even get crazy and snag one quarterback from each of those metaphorical buckets, or at least two of the three.
Just about every name out there from Kirk Cousins and Daniel Jones, to incoming rookies Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward have been linked to the Browns in some capacity this offseason. Cleveland should be taking a “leave no stone unturned” approach to its quest for a new QB. There are exceptions to every rule, though.
During Sunday’s countdown to Super Bowl 59, reports indicated that the New York Jets and future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers are headed for a split this offseason.
And while the idea of adding a Super Bowl champion with plenty of star power to the quarterback room may sound intriguing, openly inviting the enigma that is Rodgers into an already fragile locker room, is the equivalent of throwing a stick of dynamite into a vat of gasoline.
The former Packers star is one of the most polarizing players and people in the NFL. The problem is that he’s polarizing for all the wrong reasons.
The Aaron Rodgers experience comes with plenty of finger-pointing elsewhere when things aren’t going well. That was prevalent quite a bit during his two years with the Jets.
It comes with Rodgers wanting to wield a big stick and influence pivotal team decisions.
It also comes with the totally unnecessary distraction of political commentary that nobody asked for, whether it be during his weekly visits to the Pat McAfee show and elsewhere.
There’s nothing about the current state of the Browns organization that seems ready to handle the Rodgers’ circus. Especially when they’re already in the middle of mopping up the ugly fallout of the Deshaun Watson trade.
It’s a situation that has turned so sour that star pass rusher Myles Garrett has gone public with his request to be traded elsewhere. All on its own, the Watson debacle has created a world of drama. In what world does it make sense to willingly invite more? Nonetheless, at the most high-profile position in the sport.
The Browns have enough problems to figure out already.
It comes down to culture fit. And while there is plenty of room to question the state of Cleveland’s culture at the moment anyway, especially considering Garrett’s recent actions, adding Rodgers isn’t going to make it all better. If anything, it would only make it more combustible.
That’s not to say the 41-year-old doesn’t have anything left in the tank. In spots last year, Rodgers showed he can still play the game at a high enough level to win games.
As the Browns go through an evolution, however, they need to cleanse the palate. Staying away from controversial and attention-thirsty players would be a pretty easy place to start.
