It's unlikely to ever happen, but that hasn't stopped New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers from thinking about how a union with 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan in the Bay would have played out.
In an exclusive interview with the San Francisco Chronicle's Michael Silver ahead of San Francisco's 2024 NFL season opener against New York next Monday night at Levi's Stadium, Rodgers considered whether he and the detail-oriented Shanahan would have gotten along if the four-time NFL MVP had been traded to the 49ers back in 2021.
“I mean, I’ve thought about that from time to time, and I’ve had conversations with people who think that’s an interesting idea,” Rodgers told Silver. “I don’t know; it’s one of those ‘what if?’ things. He is a phenomenal play-caller. I think he’s a fantastic coach. I think anything can work if two people can find a common ground. The common ground for great relationships is respect.
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“So, even though Kyle seems to be -- I don’t know what the right word is, cause I’m kind of speaking out of turn and don’t know him that well -- but he seems to be very headstrong, which I think is a phenomenal attribute. It’s almost like, had that imaginary world happened, with his genius, what would you actually need to change? [I feel like] it would work because he’s a genius and I have a lot of years of experience.”
Before the 49ers moved up in the 2021 NFL Draft to select quarterback Trey Lance, San Francisco was Rodgers' top offseason destination as he sought a trade from the Green Bay Packers. It was reported by NFL Media's Ian Rapoport back then that Shanahan even called Packers coach and longtime friend Matt LaFleur to check in on Rodgers' availability.
The 49ers were shut down, however, and ultimately drafted Lance at No. 3 overall, who now enters a second season as third-string quarterback for the Cowboys after being traded to Dallas following Brock Purdy's ascension in San Francisco.
While there's no doubt Rodgers' abilities paired with Shanahan's offensive genius could have produced fireworks, there's no telling if the Northern California native's own stubborn personality would have meshed with Shanahan's. And by the time the Packers actually did trade Rodgers in 2023, Shanahan was more than content with Purdy manning the 49ers' offense.
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Regardless of how Rodgers believes he would work alongside Shanahan, we'll likely never know if his inklings are correct.
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