OK, what if Aaron Rodgers leaves the Packers?

Following Aaron Rodgers' cryptic Instagram post and subsequent media appearance, let's look at the Packers options if he doesn't return to Green Bay.

With exactly three weeks before the start of the 2022 league year, the Green Bay Packers still await clarity with their franchise quarterback.

Aaron Rodgers' NFL future seems as mysterious as ever following Monday's cryptic Instagram post and subsequent appearance on The Pat McAfee Show in which he gave no indication about his plans. The fake-out hardly comes as a surprise considering how he and teammate Davante Adams evoked The Last Dance an offseason ago, and more headline-grabbing behavior could follow before the four-time MVP makes a final decision.

But while a return to Green Bay for 2022 remains on the table, so does the prospect of Rodgers retiring or requesting a trade. And because the signs have pointed to Rodgers remaining with the Packers, few have given much attention to the options the team could consider should he leave.

So while the NFL world awaits an announcement from Rodgers, let's dive into the Packers' potential replacements in ascending order of absurdity.

Take the easy route:

The easiest and most predictable route should Rodgers depart involves handing the reins to Jordan Love, the soon-to-be third-year pro. An outlier by modern standards, Love has started just one game since the Packers selected him 26th overall in the 2020 NFL Draft, filling in when Rodgers tested positive for COVID-19 this past year. Love hasn't even seen much action during the preseason due to the combination of the pandemic-related cancellations in 2020 and a shoulder injury costing him an exhibition showcase last August. The limited exposure has made Love difficult to evaluate.