It’s crazy to think Chicago Bears fans are getting any enjoyment at the expense of the Green Bay Packers. Yet that is where we are. The entire football world was thrown for a loop when news broke that Aaron Rodgers, the reigning league MVP, would not be returning to the team. This due to personal differences between him and the team management. Specifically GM Brian Gutekunst. Most agree this started a year ago when the Packers drafted quarterback Jordan Love in the 1st round.
Rodgers did not take that well. In part because he was still playing great football and also the team didn’t warn him it was coming. So he spent a year plotting his revenge. He played the best football of his career, carried the team to another NFC championship, and then on the anniversary of that pick leaked that he wasn’t returning. That level of pettiness is truly a masterclass. What nobody knows for sure is how serious Rodgers is.
According to top insider Jay Glazer? Dead serious.
During an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, he didn’t mince words. Rodgers wants out of Green Bay. Without a doubt. There is no uncertainty in that. Keep in mind that Glazer has a reputation for being extra careful with such declarations without knowing for sure. That is why his scoops are almost never wrong. So for him to put that out is a clear indication of just how bad the situation between him and the Packers has gotten.
"I know he still wants out. Without a doubt. Absolutely. Still wants out"@JayGlazer on Aaron Rodgers
"Every time somebody called the #Packers it was immediately shut down. What these teams need to do is continue to call, continue to call" #PatMcAfeeShowLIVE pic.twitter.com/ysMH9UgzoH
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) June 16, 2021
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The general belief regarding the Rodgers situation is it’s settled into a cold war. Green Bay isn’t going to trade him but the odds of convincing him to come back are all but dead. That means he is likely to sit 2021 out with the belief the Packers will trade him next offseason when they have a better idea of the type of draft picks they can get.
Aaron Rodgers doesn’t seem perturbed by that idea
He’s been enjoying the offseason thus far. First with a long trip in Hawaii and is now preparing for a celebrity golf match against Tom Brady and Phil Mickelson. All the while he’s letting the Packers continue to dig their own grave with some misguided public comments. The latest being by team president Mark Murphy who called the QB a “complicated fella.” That is sure to make it all better.
Truth be told, Aaron Rodgers has done nothing to indicate he’s merely holding out for some sort of concession. It isn’t about money. Reports say he already turned down an extension that offered $40+ million per year. Everything about this situation says it’s personal. He wants out. He wants to go where the organization is 100% behind him. Not using him while fawning over his eventual replacement.
After all that he’s done for the franchise?
That is a show of disrespect. Sure, others will say it’s a smart organization looking to the future. Rodgers doesn’t care about the future. He’s been trying to win another ring for years. Then when the team is on the cusp of breaking through, they decide to draft Love rather than pour resources into making one final push to get over the top. Similar to what Tampa Bay did with Tom Brady. That was likely the breaking point for him.