Where there is smoke, there is fire… and Aaron Rodgers looks to be a Denver Bronco.

As the 2021 NFL draft rolled around, and Adam Schefter Bomb hit the internet.

This offseason, Deshaun Watson and Russell Wilson were rumored to be on the trade block. Both players seem to be interested in leaving their perspective clubs but remain with their teams for various reasons.

When news of Aaron Rodgers being disgruntled hit, it seemed as though it was in the same vein as both Watson and Wilson. Maybe Rodgers wanted more money, or leverage to get the team to draft a player who could help him win the Super Bowl, instead of his replacement (Jordan Love in 2020).

During the draft, momentum began to build that the Denver Broncos may be in the mix for the future Hall of Famer.

With the likelihood, Rodgers would not land in San Francisco and the NFC, Las Vegas and the Broncos seem to be the most likely landing spots for Rodgers to become available.

As Day 1 of the NFL draft came closer to the Jacksonville Jaguars being on the clock, word began to snowball that the Broncos had a deal in place to land Rodgers.

Excitement was nipped in the bud when the reports of Rodgers landing were refuted, and the NFL Draft began.

The Broncos, with Justin Fields available with the 9th overall selection, passed to select cornerback Patrick Surtain II to an already deep room.

The Broncos did not draft a quarterback, which added to speculation they would be in on Rodgers if and when he becomes available. The draft class was stellar and earned high marks from our Zach Segars, and designed to help a quarterback, either on the roster or a certain trade target.

Normally, rumors like this begin to die down over time. However, Rodgers’s unhappiness with the Green Bay Packer front office has continued to build.

Where there is smoke there is fire. 

When a spat of this sort occurs, usually it is squashed quickly and the news cycle moves on.

With Rodgers, its smoke has only built up, and the Broncos continue to be the name on top of the tongue of league insiders across the NFL.

There is a reason for it. The Broncos have a lot to offer. Their roster is stacked with young offensive talent, and a defense primed to be a top-five unit in the league.

Rodgers’s frustration with the Green Bay Packers has built over time, and now it seems all of the information is coming to light.

It does not seem that this relationship is repairable. Now, it could be and the frustration could be mellowed, but it does not seem like it.

Rodgers can hold a grudge if he feels slighted. He famously cut ties with family which he has yet to mend. If Rodgers can move on from his own family, he absolutely can hold the line with a professional relationship.

He holds the leverage against his team and can backchannel a deal through his agent to the preferred destination.

Ben Allbright on KOA’s Broncos Country Tonight believes that the Broncos are his preferred destination, and there is a greater than 50/50 chance Rodgers leaves Green Bay.

Even the sports books seem to agree that Denver is the most likely trade destination.

Throw in his significant other’s affinity for Boulder, Colorado and it seems there is more than one component leading many to believe the Broncos are truly a factor in the Rodgers sweepstakes.

It seems as though Green Bay is starting to recognize they might lose Rodgers and are planning accordingly.

With all of those pieces, it seems smoke continues to build, and maybe, just maybe, the Denver Broncos might manage to recreate their run with Peyton Manning when he arrived. In 2012 Manning arrived with a young offensive core and solid defensive pieces. Sounds familiar to what the team has now.

Broncos fans, I cannot say for certain that Rodgers will be a Bronco, but where there is smoke there is fire.

Speaking of fire… Seeing Rodgers in the orange and blue would definitely be just that.