Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) during the third quarter of the Green Bay Packers 32-18 victory over the Los Angeles Rams during the NFC division playoff game on Saturday, January 16, 2021, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. Packers Rams 04644
Aaron Rodgers, star of the Green Bay Packers, sparked commercial speculation after the team’s defeat in the NFC Championship Game by pondering their uncertain future with the team. Amid growing rumors about his feelings about the organization and a potential desire to play elsewhere, some in Green Bay may share the sentiment.
Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst shocked the NFL world by switching to quarterback Jordan Love in the 2020 NFL Draft. Coming from a loss in the NFC championship to the San Francisco 49ers, Green Bay apparently devoted his off-season to preparing for a future without Rodgers.
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The future Hall of Famer responded with the best season of his career, probably resulting in NFL MVP honors. But after falling short of the Super Bowl once again, with blatant holes that were not addressed in the draft harming the Packers, Green Bay’s situation looks tenuous.
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Since Aaron Rodgers expressed some uncertainty about his future with the Packers, many in the organization have made it clear that they want him back. After Sunday’s defeat, coach Matt LaFleur made it clear that he wants Rodgers back and that the team needs their leader for the next season.
This feeling is shared by the locker room and probably reflects how the entire technical team feels about the defender. However, ESPN’s Adam Schefter cast some doubts during an appearance on the stand up about how the front office can feel about Rodgers’ future.
“I think the coaching staff wants him back, as long as he wants to be there,” said Adam Schefter on ESPN’s stand up (H / T 247 Sports). “I’m not so convinced that everyone feels the same way about Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay as coaches. We’ll see how those conversations will unfold this week. “
Publicly, Packers CEO Mark Murphy said he wanted Rodgers back and that the team would be an idiot if they thought about quitting working with him. However, it is worth considering the change that this organization made a year ago and the rumors that emerged after this selection.
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The buzz around Green Bay getting ready to leave Rodgers started in February 2020. Information emerged that he was probably playing on his last contract with the team. Just two months later, talks around the 2020 NFL Draft suggested that Green Bay was looking for options for its successor.
After negotiating in the first round, although no other team tried to jump on them, rumors suggested that the Packers recruited Love to annoy Rodgers. The groundwork was apparently being done to start making everyone more comfortable with the idea of Green Bay coming out of its legendary quarterback.
Rodgers responded to the challenge. He set career records in the completion rate (70.7%), passing touchdowns (48) and touchdown rate (9.1%). He ended up with the NFL’s best quarterback rating of 121.5 and an average of 9.6 yards per attempt, proving that he is still one of the best players in the NFL.
Meanwhile, love fought. With the COVID-19 pandemic destroying the novice camp, he was unable to work with coaches until the training camp. When he arrived, the novice quarterback made erratic pitches, struggled to adjust to the NFL and he never showed signs of being ready to challenge Tim Boyle for second place in the quarterback.
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Many believed that Rodgers’ return to MVP status extended the Green Bay Super Bowl containment window. For this to happen, however, it will be necessary to navigate a difficult wage cap situation and dedicate the NFL’s 2021 Draft to solve the holes that were ignored in the previous period.
Brian Gutekunst and the Packers could exchange love and take a win-now approach this spring. It is the same route that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs are taking. However, it appears that Green Bay is still focused on preparing for a future without Rodgers.
This final result may arrive much earlier than expected. If Rodgers determines that the organization is not willing to make winning moves now and does not believe him, he can ask for an exchange. In this scenario, Gutekunst’s massive bet on Love will be tested and the Packers will have burned a bridge with a second Hall of Fame quarterback.