Aaron Rodgers Won’t Return To Packers Under Current GM?
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.
Aaron Rodgers To Consider Retirement
While the actual players drafted generated the annual interest the event does, the Aaron Rodgers drama took over Thursday’s NFL headlines. It became known the reigning MVP no longer wants to play for the Packers, with last year’s scrutinized Jordan Love pick at the center of Rodgers’ disenchantment with the franchise.
Packers GM Brian Gutekunst subsequently issued multiple statements indicating the team will not trade its incumbent starter. The Packers are taking a year-to-year approach with Rodgers, though some type of extension discussions have occurred — even after Green Bay drafted Rodgers’ would-be heir apparent last year. Rodgers may now be ready to play another card.
The 37-year-old passer will threaten to retire, unless this situation is repaired considerably, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
One of the first guest hosts on Jeopardy! this year, Rodgers is among those vying to succeed Alex Trebek. While his two-week run as host was viewed as favorable, there will be several others in contention for the permanent gig. Rodgers previously hoped to land the Jeopardy! gig while continuing his career, and at the time of those comments, regular Green Bay-to-Los Angeles flights appeared to be in the QB’s future. Now, staying in Wisconsin is no longer in the three-time MVP’s plans.
Rodgers’ hopeful trade destinations became known shortly after his desire to leave Green Bay did. The 49ers, Broncos and Raiders appeared on said list. Some buzz about the Broncos moving forward with an effort to land Rodgers emerged on Twitter just ahead of the draft, but Rapoport adds the Rodgers-to-Denver talk was overblown. A few teams called the Packers, with the 49ers confirming as such, but Rapoport notes Green Bay shut down any such efforts.
This stalemate could venture into Carson Palmer-Bengals territory, which would be interesting considering David Dunn — Palmer’s agent at the time he staged a retirement in hopes of ending the Cincinnati portion of his career — also represents Rodgers. Palmer followed through on his retirement threat in 2011, stepping away from the team for several months after making it known he did not want to play a ninth season with the Bengals. The team ended up trading Palmer to the Raiders just ahead of that year’s deadline.
Although the Packers could go after Rodgers’ $6.8MM roster bonus — paid earlier this year — if he retires, per Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap (on Twitter), the future Hall of Famer has banked a considerable amount of money in his 16-year career. Both he and the Packers could dig in here, creating a lengthy stalemate and a historically unusual situation.
No reigning MVP has ever been traded, but two have retired — Norm Van Brocklin after the 1960 season, when he led the Eagles over the Packers in that year’s championship game, and Jim Brown after the 1965 campaign. Rodgers’ stance also would stand to pull the rug from under this Packers run, which has produced back-to-back NFC championship games.
Packers GM: “We’re Not Going To Trade Aaron Rodgers”
Aaron Rodgers wants out. Unfortunately for him, the Packers’ GM says the star quarterback isn’t going anywhere. 
“No, we’re not going to trade Aaron Rodgers,” Brian Gutekunst told reporters after the first round of the NFL Draft (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport).
Rodgers and the Packers have been negotiating a new deal for months, but Rodgers has been unhappy with the nature of the talks. The Packers are reportedly seeking a restructuring of his deal that would grant them cap relief. Meanwhile, Rodgers is seeking a lucrative long-term extension.
The Broncos, 49ers, and Raiders were reportedly high on the QBs’ wish list, but trade talks were a non-starter for Green Bay. Ultimately, the Niners stuck with the No. 3 pick they traded up for and used it on Trey Lance, but GM John Lynch admitted that he first tried to swing a deal for Rodgers.
“You‘re talking about the MVP of our league last year,” Lynch said (via the San Jose Mercury News). “I don’t know about you guys, but when the MVP of the league might be available — and I didn’t know that, I’m just reading the tea leaves like everybody else and saying, ‘Hold on, is something going on here?’ Yeah, we inquired. And it was a quick end to the conversation. It wasn’t happening.”
“As we said, we’ve been convicted and excited for a long, long time, so we went right back to where we’ve been and that’s really excited about adding Trey Lance to the 49ers and we’re thrilled about that.”
49ers, Broncos, Raiders On Aaron Rodgers’ Wishlist
3:42pm: While a previous report indicated the 49ers made an offer, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets the Packers have not received a firm trade proposal for their superstar quarterback. Multiple teams have inquired, only to be rebuffed. Given Thursday’s developments, offers figure to come in for the three-time MVP.
3:16pm: It hasn’t even been an hour since the NFL world was rocked by news of Aaron Rodgers potentially wanting out of Green Bay, and we’ve already got a new batch of updates for you.
Perhaps most importantly, a source told Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk that Rodgers “could indeed be traded this weekend” (Twitter link). In a separate tweet, he reports the potential destinations. An “unimpeachable” source told Florio that as of last night Rodgers’ wishlist was the “49ers, Broncos, Raiders (not necessarily in that order).”
He also adds that Rodgers wanted the Packers to accept the 49ers’ offer, which we only heard about within the past couple hours. The 49ers make a ton of sense as Rodgers is a Bay Area native, although it’s unclear what his specific attractions to the Broncos and Raiders are.
The Raiders have never seemed particularly committed to Derek Carr, and Jon Gruden would likely jump at the chance to add Rodgers. With only Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater right now, the Broncos would too. San Francisco traded up to get a quarterback with the third overall pick, and they’ve now only got a few hours left until they need to decide on a passer. Maybe they can trade whoever they end up drafting as part of a potential package for Rodgers.
In our original story we heard that the two sides were still in some sort of negotiations over a contract extension, but it sounds like that’s probably not realistic if there’s a real chance he gets traded in the next few days.
Florio has additional bad news for Packers fans, as he says in another tweet that he’s been told Rodgers “doesn’t like anyone in the front office for a variety of reasons.” Meanwhile, Packers brass are continuing to act like nothing is wrong, at least publicly.
GM Brian Gutekunst issued a statement shortly after the news broke, saying “as we’ve stated since the season ended, we are committed to Aaron in 2021 and beyond. Aaron has been a vital part of our success and we look forward to competing for another championship with him leading our team” (Twitter link via Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel).
Whether Rodgers is with the Packers or another team in 2021, it sounds like he wants more input with the organization. The reigning MVP “wants to have a say in personnel decisions for whatever team he is on – both in the draft and free agency,” sources told Tony Pauline of ProFootballNetwork (Twitter link).
It’s safe to say the Packers wouldn’t have taken Jordan Love in the first-round last year if Rodgers had a say in draft decisions. It’s not an unreasonable ask for a player of Rodgers’ stature, but it’s more confirmation that Rodgers is unhappy and could see himself playing elsewhere in the near future.
That’s all for now, but we should be hearing plenty more on this situation in the coming hours, so stay tuned…
Aaron Rodgers Wants Out Of Green Bay
Well the biggest NFL story of the day no longer has anything to do with the draft. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is “so disgruntled,” that he has told some members of the organization “that he does not want to return to the team,” sources told Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.
The absolutely massive report comes just about an hour after word leaked that the 49ers had recently inquired about trading for Rodgers. That same report regarding the 49ers said there was a “zero percent chance” the Packers would be trading him, but it sounds like Rodgers might now be planning on forcing their hand.
All that being said, it doesn’t mean Rodgers is about to get dealt. In fact, the Packers and Rodgers have been “negotiating a long-term contract offer,” Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets. Rapsheet writes “they’ve been working on it for weeks,” and that Rodgers “has been unhappy at times during those moments.” He confirms that he’s “not happy now,” but his tone makes the situation sound more salvageable.
In a follow-up tweet, Rapoport reports that Rodgers had his agent Dave Dunn fly to Green Bay “for several days of meetings to work through the situation.” Rodgers refused a restructure, and said he wanted an extension. Teams then called about trades sensing he was unhappy, and Green Bay rebuffed those inquiries. They then went back and offered an extension, but haven’t been able to reach a deal.
Finally, Rapoport tweets that the Packers “remain committed” to Rodgers. “It’s all about getting an extension done… and if that happens, this should take care of the matter,” he writes. That sounds like it’s Green Bay’s perspective, while Schefter’s report makes it seem like Rodgers doesn’t necessarily feel the same way anymore. The matter is more about the 16-year veteran’s desire to leave Green Bay than it is about his contract, Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer tweets.
Schefter writes that the team is “concerned” about Rodgers’ feelings, and that team president Mark Murphy, general manager Brian Gutekunst and head coach Matt LaFleur have each flown “out on separate trips to meet with Rodgers at various points this offseason.”
Apparently those trips didn’t go all that well. Sources also told Schefter that the Packers have offered the reigning MVP an extension, which he obviously hasn’t accepted yet. That would of course be what Rapoport was referring to in his tweet. Meanwhile, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets the details on his current contract. If he was traded before June 1st, the Packers would incur over $31.5 in dead cap charges.
As such, don’t expect anything imminently. If it were done after June 1st, it would be a more modest $14.3MM in 2021, with more dead money in 2022 still. While it might sound unthinkable for things to have become so toxic with a player coming off an MVP season and back to back runs to the NFC Championship Game, the Packers did a lot to bring this on themselves.
They shocked everybody, including Rodgers, by drafting Jordan Love in the first-round last April. Schefter confirms that Rodgers not being informed in advance about the Love pick is one of the reasons he’s grown frustrated with the team. Although he responded with one of the best seasons of his career in 2020 it’s been clear something has been brewing beneath the surface, with his recent string of cryptic comments raising plenty of eyebrows.
Nobody knows what will happen next, and it’s far from a foregone conclusion that Rodgers won’t be with the Packers in 2021. He’s under contract through 2023 so Green Bay still has plenty of leverage, and it sounds like their top decision makers are making a real effort to patch things over.
However, it’s no longer deniable that there’s major trouble here. There was a report all the way back in January that many around the league believed Rodgers wanted out. Packers brass have consistently dismissed such speculation, but those denials are no longer realistic in the wake of Schefter’s report.
It’s been a wild day, and the draft hasn’t even started yet. Buckle up…
49ers Tried To Trade For Aaron Rodgers
The 49ers reached out to the Packers on Wednesday to inquire about trading for Aaron Rodgers (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). However, no formal offer was made. Furthermore, a source tells Pelissero there’s a “zero percent chance” that the Packers will trade the star quarterback. 
The Niners have been doing their due diligence on QBs, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. In addition to Rodgers, they’ve also been poking around on embattled Texans passer Deshaun Watson. This wasn’t the first time they’ve called on Rodgers either. But, just as before, they were quickly rebuffed.
“Aaron’s our guy; he’s going to be our quarterback for the foreseeable future,” GM Brian Gutekunst said recently. “We’re excited about the kind of the things we’re going to try to accomplish here over the next couple years. So we certainly think with the contract that you’re kind of talking about is something we’ll work through. We’re going to have to do probably a few things with different contracts as we head toward the season and then through the season to make sure that our salary cap situation, not only this year, but in 2022 is square. So we’re not done yet. We’ve done a lot to get here. We’ve kind of been doing things as we go and we will continue to do that as we go.”
There have been some rumblings this offseason that Rodgers could want out of Green Bay, and if those rumblings are true it’s not hard to see him wanting to play for the 49ers. Rodgers is a Northern California native, and went to school at Cal in the Bay Area.
He has repeatedly hedged about his future when speaking publicly, recently saying again that things were “out of his control.” He certainly hasn’t sounded like someone who’s sure they’re going to be a Packer for life. Either way Rodgers’ contract needs to be adjusted for cap purposes, and there’s apparently a bit of a hold up with that, so something is definitely afoot.
It’s just hard to say what right now. Rodgers will in all likelihood be under center for the Packers come Week 1, but there’s a lot brewing beneath the surface here. The fact that the 49ers felt like it was worth making a call is revealing in its own right.
Packers GM: Aaron Rodgers Is “Our Guy”
Aaron Rodgers‘ immediate future is not in jeopardy, Packers GM Brian Gutekunst says (Twitter link via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com). Despite the lingering contract talks and all the speculation, Gutekunst insists that everything will work out between the quarterback and the front office. 
“Aaron’s our guy; he’s going to be our quarterback for the foreseeable future,” Gutekunst said. “We’re excited about the kind of the things we’re going to try to accomplish here over the next couple years. So we certainly think with the contract that you’re kind of talking about is something we’ll work through. We’re going to have to do probably a few things with different contracts as we head toward the season and then through the season to make sure that our salary cap situation, not only this year, but in 2022 is square. So we’re not done yet. We’ve done a lot to get here. We’ve kind of been doing things as we go and we will continue to do that as we go.”
The two sides are still “working through” Rodgers’ contract, which has no remaining guarantees. As it stands, the Packers could part ways with Rodgers next year and save ~$25 million against the 2022 cap. That doesn’t sit well with Rodgers, who knows that the Packers project to be top-heavy beyond 2021.
Rodgers, 37, captured his third MVP trophy last year while rookie Jordan Love watched from the sidelines. Thanks to Rodgers and his NFL-leading 48 touchdown passes, the Packers reached the NFC championship game and fell just short of beating the Buccaneers.
Aaron Rodgers’ Contract Holding Up Packers?
Aaron Rodgers is content to go year-to-year with the Packers, but that’s not necessarily ideal for their 2021 cap situation. This week, one agent told Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com that the uncertainty surrounding his contract has prevented the team from making moves in free agency.
“It’s screwing the Packers in a lot of ways right now because there’s just no cap space,” the agent said. “They’ve called me about one of my players and said ‘Hey, this is where we are now, and until we get something big done — hint, hint — we don’t have any space.’ It’s kind of like a lose-lose situation right now. That’s what [is] surprising to me is, you’d think there would be a middle-ground situation to get something done.”
The Packers could do a simple conversion, turning a piece of Rodgers’ $14.7MM base salary into a signing bonus. However, that would only kick the can down the road, leaving them in a worse spot next year. A restructured deal could make sense for both sides, but it’s not a given that Rodgers is in a cooperative mood right now.
Meanwhile, Rodgers is still not over the team’s first-round selection of Jordan Love last year.
“All I can do is play my best and I feel like last year I did do that,” the reigning NFL MVP said recently. “[I] may have thrown a wrench into some timelines that may have been thought about or desired.”
QB Notes: Rodgers, Steelers, Broncos, Pats
While Aaron Rodgers is content to go year-to-year with the Packers, who have declined to restructure his contract to create cap space this offseason, the reigning MVP has made no secret of the fact he is gunning for the job Alex Trebek held for 36 years. The first week of the Jeopardy! episodes Rodgers previously taped wrapped Friday, and although the show’s run of guest hosts will continue after next week’s shows, the 37-year-old quarterback wants to become Trebek’s successor. With Jeopardy! filming five episodes per day two days a week — on Mondays and Tuesdays — Rodgers believes he can become the show’s next full-time host without retiring from the NFL.
“I don’t think I’d need to give up football to do it. They film 46 days a year. I worked 187 this year in Green Bay. That gives me, eh, 178 days to do “Jeopardy!” So I feel like I could fit 46 into that 178 and make it work,” Rodgers said, via The Ringer’s Claire McNear. “It would be a dream job for sure, and I’m not shy at all about saying I want the job. That’s how I went into it. I want an opportunity to be in the mix.”
Jeopardy! films in Los Angeles, so it may create some issues if the show — in the event Rodgers landed the gig — filmed episodes during training camp, the regular season or the playoffs. Just ahead of his most recent contract agreement, in 2018, Rodgers said he would love to play until at least age 40. Four hosts, including Jeopardy! mainstay Ken Jennings, preceded Rodgers this year. Five more will take their turns after Rodgers’, creating a crowded mix to succeed Trebek, who died in November 2020. Shifting back to strictly NFL matters, here is the latest from the quarterback world:
- Among QBs in his age range, Ben Roethlisberger stands alone. The other two 2004 first-round QBs — Eli Manning and Philip Rivers — retired. So did Drew Brees. Tom Brady relocated, and the Packers drafted Rodgers’ would-be heir apparent in Jordan Love. The Steelers, however, are still Roethlisberger-dependent. They will not trade up from No. 24 to draft a quarterback, according to Mark Kaboly of The Athletic (subscription required), who notes that it would not be too surprising if Roethlisberger ended up staying on for his age-40 season in 2022 while the organization figures out its long-awaited plan.
- Washington looms as a team that appears interested in trading up for a quarterback, but the team may have company. The Broncos and Patriots loom as other candidates to move up the board for a passer, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (video link). A trade-up maneuver would not cost the Broncos (No. 9) what the Patriots (No. 15) would have to pay. New England is usually big on trading back and accumulating picks, but the franchise zagged by splurging in free agency this offseason. And its QB situation is considerably different from what it was when Bill Belichick trade-downs were commonplace. Both teams would benefit from the run of quarterbacks pushing non-QB prospects down the board, but neither appears to have a viable long-term answer. The Broncos are planning to add to their Drew Lock-centered QB room and discussed Matthew Stafford and Sam Darnold. But Lock may remain unchallenged going into the draft.
- Nate Sudfeld‘s 49ers contract is a one-year deal worth $990K, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter). The former Eagles third-stringer will receive $252K guaranteed, and $138K is available via incentives.
Aaron Rodgers On Packers Future
Aaron Rodgers was vague about his future when appearing on SportsCenter over the weekend, and during a Monday appearance on the ‘Pat McAfee Show,’ he elaborated more on his situation with the Packers (Twitter video link).
Rodgers certainly didn’t sound like someone expecting to be a Packer for life, saying “my future, is really, a lot of it’s out of my control.” He added that it’s “quite uncertain which directions things are going to go.” Any eyebrows that weren’t already raised around the league certainly are now.
“All I can do is play my best and I feel like last year I did do that,” the reigning NFL MVP explained. The real kicker came next, when Rodgers said he “may have thrown a wrench into some timelines that may have been thought about or desired” with his stellar 2020 season.
He clearly was referring to the fact that Packers brass drafted Jordan Love in the first-round in 2020, and may have been planning to put him out to pasture sooner rather than later. His dominant campaign and run to the NFC Championship Game obviously made things a lot more difficult for Green Bay.
Rodgers is reportedly seeking a new contract this offseason, and some rival execs and coaches think he wants a fresh start elsewhere. The Rams apparently made a push for Rodgers before dealing for Matthew Stafford, although the Packers have insisted for now that he isn’t available. Interestingly Rodgers said the adjustments he made to his mentality and general life outlook, which he’s discussed heavily over the past year, happened before the drafting of Love.
“The change was before that. The perspective adjustments and the course corrections with my own life, personal life, headspace,” all came prior to that, and “the draft was just an opportunity for those to play out in real time where I had an opportunity to respond using the tools that I’ve tried to cultivate and the habits I was trying to form and adjust in real time. And so I got a great opportunity to show where I was at mentally and to grow and to just be myself.”
Rodgers seems content not knowing if he’ll be in Green Bay long-term, and it’s a very interesting dynamic for a team with Super Bowl aspirations to have coming off a 13-3 season. Things could come to a head sometime in the near future, but for now all we’ve got is cryptic comments.