Aaron Rodgers will likely play for 1 of these 2 teams next season

The drama surrounding Aaron Rodgers and whether or not he will return to the Green Bay Packers next season has hit a fever pitch. While Rodgers promised a quick decision, he’s left the Packers to float in the breeze a bit as franchise tagging and free agency loom. While he’d stayed relatively quiet on his decision-making process, that silence has left people to try and suss out clues wherever they can, even if it turns out to be wrong.

While some insiders have said that it’s a foregone conclusion that the two-time defending NFL MVP will return to Green Bay, other reports have said he’s “truly torn” about what to do next. Meanwhile, the Packers claim they haven’t engaged with any team over trade talks. There’s also the discussion around Rodgers’ contract and how that could be a dealbreaker for Green Bay if it wants to build around the QB.

Meanwhile, the Denver Broncos have long been rumored as a potential suitor for Rodgers if he did decide to ask for a trade. And they’ve effectively built their entire coaching staff around attracting Aaron, in hiring former Packers OC Nate Hackett as their head coach. The franchise has made it clear that acquiring a solid quarterback is their No. 1 priority and you can’t get much more solid than Rodgers.

All of which lends itself to the most recent reports that, essentially, the Aaron Rodgers Sweepstakes is down to the Packers and Broncos.

“I think it’s an either/or with Rodgers between Green Bay and Denver,” said Yahoo’s Charles Robinson recently.

Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Packers have made their contract offer to Rodgers. It’ll be fascinating to know how that works out because Green Bay is currently more than $27 million over the cap and has a lot more to figure out. But if Rodgers says no or the two sides can’t work out a deal, Fowler also says that the Broncos are “willing to compete to acquire him either through a new contract or draft-pick compensation.”

Given Denver’s history of success with Hall of Fame quarterbacks (John Elway, Peyton Manning), it must seem like an enticing proposition for Rodgers if he doesn’t feel like he’s getting the love he deserves in Wisconsin. However, plenty of other notable NFL quarterbacks have said that it’s in his best interest to try and salvage the relationship and play his career out in Green Bay if he can.

We’ll know for sure in the coming days which way the winds blow for Rodgers, the Packers, and the Broncos.

[ESPN, Yahoo!]