The Status of Aaron Rodgers and Whether or Not He Will Stay With the Packers
Aaron Rodgers is a three-time MVP and a quarterback that led the Green Bay Packers to a 13-3 season in addition to an NFC North championship. You may have heard of him.
Looking at how much he has done in the past several years with the Packers, it would be shocking to think that he would want to play for a different team. But, that is exactly what is happening.
There is a good chance that 2020 will be the last season where Rodgers will be wearing the colors yellow and green. (Jay Biggerstaff/Reuters)
The reason for this is nothing less than his frustration with the Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst. Rodgers states that “It’s just kind of about the philosophy and maybe forgetting that it is about the people that make the thing go. It’s about character, it’s about culture, it’s about doing things the right way”.
It is not hard to decipher that this is directed towards Gutekunst.
A lot of the frustration coming from Rodgers directed at Gutekunst is due to him receiving no communication on the Packers’ decision making, more specifically the decision to take quarterback Jordan Love in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Rodgers had no idea that the Packers were thinking about picking a quarterback in the draft, let alone do some trading to acquire the quarterback. Rodgers’ frustration is coming from a place where he feels that he is not appreciated and respected as a player.
One would think that as someone who is not only the league's MVP for the most recent season but a player that has helped win many games, many division titles, many playoff games and even a Super Bowl would be given some sort of warning on a major decision like this, especially since other great quarterbacks in the past have been given major decision making power like Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. Typically when teams have a future Hall of Fame quarterback who has been with the team for over a decade, they have some say in roster decisions. It does not seem like that is the case for Rodgers and the Packers. Hence the frustration.
Since Rodgers has first addressed his feelings on wanting to be traded, he has not attended any sort of event or practice held by the Packers. He so far has been fined $93,085 from missing all three days of mandatory minicamp. Not only this, but he has lost a $500,000 workout bonus due to missing OTAs and other workouts.
For Rodgers, it seems that missing out on roughly $600,000 has been the last thing on his mind. During the offseason, he has been reported to be on vacation and enjoying his time during the offseason.
The real test of Rodgers will be if he attends training camp at the end of July. Each day he misses training camp would cost him roughly $50,000, and with the Packers having normally 35 practices it would mean he would be missing out on $1.75 million.
Jordan Love, the rookie quarterback who is all in for starting week one. (Morry Gash/Associated Press)
It is uncertain if Rodgers will partake in training camp or not. What is certain though is that the recently drafted Jordan Love is “one hundred percent” prepared to start week one of the 2021 season. If Rodgers ends up not being traded this off-season and fails to attend training camp, he may sit out for some or all of the upcoming season, creating an unprecedented story that will continue into the season.
It is clear though that Aaron Rodgers wants nothing to do with the Packers organization at the moment, specifically Gutekunst. NFL Insider Jay Glazer states that he knows Rodgers “still wants out. Without a doubt. Absolutley.”
Packers’ CEO Mark Murphy on the other hand seems to feel indifferent to having Aaron Rodgers traded. When addressing the Rodgers situation, he discusses how the Packers are “working to resolve the situation”.
He labels Rodger as a “complicated fella”. For someone who wants to keep his MVP quarterback, this is the last thing Rodgers needs to hear if there is any hope in getting him to stay in Green Bay.
The big question is which team could Rodgers end up with? There are several contenders, including the Los Angeles Raiders, the Denver Broncos and the San Francisco 49ers.
But who would be the best fit?
BEST FITS FOR AARON RODGERS:
Las Vegas Raiders
Although they have Pro Bowl quarterback Derek Carr, that doesn't mean that they wouldn't take Aaron Rodgers if they could
Were previously interested in Deshaun Watson until the alleged sexual allegations were released
Denver Broncos
Many people see Denver as the leading contender for Rodgers being their quarterback
Have no long term solution to a quarterback
Are Drew Lock and Bridgewater capable of leading the Broncos to a championship team?
San Francisco 49ers
With Rodgers being an All-Star quarterback and having Kyle Shanahan as a big-time playmaker coach, the team would be a leading contender in the NFC
There has been interest reported previously by San Francisco for Rodgers