Aaron Rodgers‘ issues with the Packers have dominated this draft weekend, and the executive who selected Jordan Love last year appears to be in the reigning MVP’s crosshairs.
The future Hall of Fame quarterback wants out of Green Bay and is willing to threaten retirement. A key part of Rodgers’ disenchantment with the Packers: fourth-year GM Brian Gutekunst. Rodgers is adamant he will not return to the Packers as long as Gutekunst is leading the front office, Charles Robinson of Yahoo.com reports.
Packers president Mark Murphy is aware of Rodgers’ issues with Gutekunst, Robinson adds. Gutekunst, who succeeded the late Ted Thompson as Packers GM in 2018, rose up from Green Bay’s front office. While Gutekunst has been more active in free agency than his predecessor and was in place when Rodgers signed his current extension in 2018, the Jordan Love pick — made without any consultation with Rodgers — continues to drive a wedge between the 13-year Packers starter and the GM.
Rodgers initially believed Gutekunst sought to move on from him after 2020. The GM has said the team remains committed to Rodgers, though the Love pick has clouded the prospect of Rodgers finishing his career in Green Bay. The veteran said in 2020 he no longer viewed that as realistic and has proceeded this offseason with an uncertain tone about his future in Wisconsin. Unsuccessful meetings between Gutekunst, Murphy and Rodgers escalated to this impasse becoming public Thursday.
The 37-year-old superstar/aspiring Jeopardy! host presented the Packers with an extension proposal this offseason, according to Robinson, that would essentially lock him in for two more seasons. The Packers, however, did not initially want to do anything beyond a restructure. While the team may have become more receptive to a new deal, its year-to-year approach remains in place as of draft weekend.
Rodgers indicated in 2018 he wanted to play into his 40s, which differs from Brett Favre‘s year-to-year timeline in the 2000s. Favre’s successor now would prefer to play past 40 in a different uniform.
If a trade is to occur, it would likely take place beyond June 1. The Packers could spread out Rodgers’ $38.4MM dead-money hit over multiple years that way. The Broncos, Raiders and 49ers reside on Rodgers’ wish list, and although the Rodgers-to-Denver buzz that surfaced Thursday evening appears overblown, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes that scenario is possible — especially after the team passed on Justin Fields at No. 9 overall (video link).
This impasse shows no signs of slowing down, and if Rodgers’ stance remains by the time the Packers report to minicamp in June, the prospect of Love going into training camp as the team’s starter increases.
Rodgers was an average QB 2016-2019, at least based on his peak. While I didn’t like the Love pick, I can see where the front office was coming from. He balled out last season so that puts them in a bind. Not sure why he’s taking it so personally. He saw the disaster of an ending with Favre yet he seems to be making the same mistakes.
*2017-2019
I think Rodgers is using Love as a crutch. He knows it’s a business. He wants a new deal, 3 for 100m 2/3 guaranteed. The problem is his current deal is a cap nightmare, between his signing bonus and restructure bonus and the lower cap they can’t give him a new deal this year. He’s got leverage coming off an MVP season.
He wants another ring before retiring and his contract is upside down. He makes 75m over the next 3 years but about 100m is going against the cap, and none of it is guarenteed. He can get a deal elsewhere for 3yr 100m and with void years have at least 20m+ fall off the back in year 4. If he wants weapons and money he knows he can do better elsewhere.
Yes
It’s gotta sting knowing you fell just short in the NFCCG after an MVP year while your team’s 1st round pick contributed nothing sitting on the bench healthy all year cause your GM tossed away a key resource to upgrade the roster now. Especially when you lost to a guy who’s also an aging HOF QB, who’s team DID go all in for him and bet on him.
There’s no guarantee they draft a useful player instead of Love, but they didn’t even try to.
Exactly. That’s the issue. It shouldn’t take Rodgers getting pissed for GB to contemplate going all in. The GM is an idiot and should be fired regardless of the current Rodgers situation.
The big difference between Brady and Roger’s is maturity plus Brady will take less to get the players around him. Will Rogers?.
It’s not so much about Love as it is about the disrespect of failing to address getting him help in the draft AND free agency.
Scenario 1: sign a WR.
Robby Anderson, Nelson Aghlor, Emmanuel Sanders in 2020 or sign Sanders, Aghlor, Fuller, Smith Schuster, Sanders, Antonio Brown. Get the man a #2 behind Adams. Had they done that in 2020 or 2021, not really an issue if they draft love and dillion.
Scenario 2: draft him a receiver in 2020 or 2021
2020: k they went and got Love and Dillion rounds 1 and 2
3rd-7th round
3rd round they took a TE in the 3rd. Passed on Gabriel Davis.
2021- passed on WR in rounds 1 and 2 and took one in the 3rd. Really. Didnt sign anyone in FA.
Wow, what a dumb comment.
His peak is like the best QB seasons of all time. Nobody maintains that for 16 straight seasons or whatever.
So because his numbers weren’t “peak”, he is an average NFL qb lol.
This comment section has to be the dumbest out of any site I visit my god.
“Rodgers was an average QB 2016-2019, at least based on his peak.”
I’m not buying this. Factoring in his injury season, over that time, he averaged 4,200 yards, 31 TDs, and only 5 INT per 16 games. Packers just thought they were smarter than they are and thought they could do Aaron Rodgers 2.0, forgetting that Love will likely never be as good as Rodgers and also forgetting how acrimonious their relationship with Favre ended up being.
You’ve got a QB who has shown no signs of slowing down, who will play several more years, and you draft his successor? Asinine. How else should Rodgers feel besides being pushed out?
He’s really has never been average.
If you have to choose between Rodgers and the numbskull who drafted QB and RB in rounds 1 and 2 last year when the team was already set at both positions, you choose Rodgers. Gutekunst is a dime a dozen GM, nothing special. Send him packing and continue to make the playoffs every year under Rodgers.
Throwing Gutekunst under the bus just to pacify an aging prima donna at the end of his career would only serve to create a lot of resentment among the other people in the front office…ain’t gonna happen.
Fire them all.
It’s Aaron Rodgers.
You can hire better replacements for less than Rodgers is worth.
No one buys a gutenkust jersey.
This front office didn’t handle their prima Donna right and now it’s them or the playoffs.
Easy call to me.
LOVED “No one buys a gutenkust jersey.”
Fans buy jerseys to show support for the team and if the player that jersey represents gets traded or retires they simply buy another jersey. Packer fans won’t stop buying jerseys or other merchandise if Rodgers leaves anymore than they stopped making purchases when Favre left.
Not really. Several “fans” will follow the player and buy his new Jersey.
The big difference between Brady and Roger’s is maturity plus Brady will take less to get the players around him. Will Rogers?. Why don’t you just let Rogers hire who he wants. That’s his goal. He got Mccarthy fired and now he’s pouting again to get the GM fired. Who’s next? Jake from State Farm?
To be fair to Rodgers, I remember when the Packers drafted him and he said it was an insult to team legend Brett Favre and an outrage and that the GM should be fired.
Oh wait, no…he had his agent bug the Packers constantly about when he was going to play, Favre or no Favre.
Rodgers has the most tender of egos.
Did Aaron Rodgers personally injure you? So weird how personal it seems with you and how crazy your hatred is.
Just calling balls and strikes.
It irks the Rodgies, I know.
Hardly. Every article about Rodgers, you’re here slamming his ‘ego’ and attitude and personality. It’s obsessive and weird.
And I’m not a ‘Rodgie’. I’m a Giants fan who doesn’t really even like Rodgers but would take him in a heartbeat because what matters is on-the-field play, where Rodgers is sublime.
Calling balls and strikes, I “slam” his ego and attitude and personality because they are fragile, bad and worse, respectively.
Only a Rodgie would care.
A normal person who disagrees would move on.
Rodgies can’t. They must defend their idol.
You’re calling balls and strikes for a softball game while we are talking about baseball.
You’re comparing different situations.
Farve: When the Packers drafted Rodgers they at least spent draft picks to help Farve
Terrence Murphy 2nd round 2005
Greg Jennings 2nd round 2006
They already had Ahman Green at RB and didn’t draft one in 2005 or 2006
They also had Donald Lee and Bubba Franks and didn’t draft a TE 2005 or 2006 either.
They invested picks at WR to help Farve.
Rodgers:
Already had Aaron Jones and Williams, so course they draft Dillion. Could have waited a year like THIS YEAR to see if they needed a RB. Didn’t need one in 2020.
Needed a WR so course they draft two 3rd round TEs in 2019 and 2020 and a 3rd round rookie receiver this year
Don’t sign a legit #2 in free agency in 2019 or 2020 or 2021.
Completely different situations and how the franchise handled drafting the QB of the future.
Farve got help. Rodgers didn’t.
This isn’t the first dumb thing josh has said on here and it won’t be the last. No evidence to support his claims just his hatred for Aaron rodgers.
I’m no fan of Green Bay or rodgers but can respect the effort and excellence he has had since entering the league. He deserves the contract he is looking for and then some, packers would be nothing without him and he has asked for help which they haven’t done.
Rodgers has had enough and I don’t blame him, bg should trade him and move on with love if they feel that confident.
Seems to be a lot of attacks on Rodgers character about things he supposedly did when Favre was still QB. With all due respect provide proof. Let’s see some sources to back this up. Otherwise get back in your basement.
“A normal person who disagrees would move on.
Rodgies can’t. They must defend their idol.”
As I was saying…
You keep going back to the same line “Rodgies defending Rodgers” but I’m not a Rodgers fan nor a Green Bay fan. People are calling you out for your insinuations that are not backed up by facts. If you have no proof of things then you shouldn’t come into this site and make up false things.
Ok now you can go back to your basement life.
He did it to Farve now it’s being done to him. Hilarious!
The only way they get a trade done is if he gives money back. Not happening so, moot point. They can put the GM in another role to satisfy the diva until they trade him next year with a lower cap hit.
Will the GM still refuse to trade Rodgers now?
Your job or mine?
Can we work out a deal with the Jets?