Replacing Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady - Trade, free-agency and in-house quarterback options for the Packers and Buccaneers in 2022

With their respective losses in the divisional round of the NFC playoffs, the chatter surrounding two of the best quarterbacks in NFL history pivoted toward an uncertain future. In Tampa Bay, 44-year-old Tom Brady is considering retirement, a dramatic U-turn for a player who has repeatedly said he wants to play until he's 45. With nothing left to prove, there's a chance we could see an NFL without Brady for the first time since the Clinton administration.

Up north, Green Bay's disappointing loss to San Francisco has set the Aaron Rodgers rumor mill abuzz yet again, with Rodgers admitting after the game that he doesn't want to be a part of any rebuild with the Packers. He is likely to win his second consecutive MVP award, but at age 38 and after an exhausting couple of years off the field, the future Hall of Famer might consider retiring or approach the Packers about a trade.

My suspicion is that both will be back on their current rosters for one final go-round in 2022. Brady could end up fulfilling that prophecy of playing until 45, and I can't imagine the Packers bringing themselves to trading away a two-time reigning MVP to open up the job for Jordan Love. Good organizations prepare for any possibility, though, and I'm doing just that today.

Let's use what we know about the Bucs and the Packers to try to get a sense of what each organization might do at quarterback in 2022 if their current starter is off the roster.

I'll start with Brady, whose situation is easier to resolve and harder to replace. The Bucs aren't trading the greatest player of all time, so it's retire or return for the longtime quarterback. If Brady doesn't come back, the Bucs will need to add at least one signal-caller to their quarterback room. I