Reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers is so disgruntled with the Green Bay Packers that he has told some within the organization that he does not want to return to the team, league and team sources told ESPN on Thursday.
#Packers GM Brian Gutekunst to ESPN: "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."
Originally Posted by : Aaron Rodgers doesn't want to return to Green Bay Packers, sources say
Reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers is so disgruntled with the Green Bay Packers that he has told some within the organization that he does not want to return to the team, league and team sources told ESPN on Thursday.
The Packers are aware of his feelings, concerned about them and have had team president Mark Murphy, general manager Brian Gutekunst and head coach Matt LaFleur each fly out on separate trips to meet with Rodgers at various points this offseason, sources told ESPN.
"As we've stated since the season ended, we are committed to Aaron in 2021 and beyond," Gutekunst told ESPN. "Aaron has been a vital part of our success and we look forward to competing for another championship with him leading our team."
Rodgers has not budged this offseason, but neither have the Packers, who have made it known they are not interested in trading Rodgers anywhere.
The San Francisco 49ers called the Packers on Wednesday night, a source told ESPN, and the Los Angeles Rams inquired about Rodgers in January before they traded for Matthew Stafford.
The Packers quickly dismissed the Rams' overtures, the source said.
The Packers have offered to extend Rodgers' contract, sources told ESPN.
Rodgers is unhappy for a variety of reasons, with some of it dating back to last year's draft when the Packers didn't inform him before trading up to draft a quarterback with their first-round pick. Some took this as a sign that his days in Green Bay could he numbered.
He also is at a different point in his personal life, having recently gotten engaged to actress Shailene Woodley. Rodgers also has hosted "Jeopardy!" and said it would be a dream to become the full-time host. He could play football and host Jeopardy! together.
Rodgers has made cryptic comments about his future in Green Bay, but he has told others that he does not want to return.
On draft night, the Packers' biggest issue isn't who they land, but whether they can keep the former NFL MVP.
Rodgers' contract contained a $6.8 million roster bonus due in March. It could have been converted into a signing bonus that would have freed up more than $4.5 million in salary-cap space for this season but instead it "vested as scheduled," a source told ESPN at the time. It's listed as an automatic conversion in Rodgers' contract but even that has to be signed off on by both parties. It's not known if the Packers tried to convert and Rodgers refused to sign off on it, or if they did not attempt a conversion.
Originally Posted by scho63:
Aaron looks like he wants to be done with football. He is possible the most depressing person I have ever seen at QB.
Watching him in pressers makes Bill Bellichik look like Tony Robbins.
Absolutely, the little passion for the game he once had is clearly gone. He was never a guy like Mahomes or Brady who lived & breathed football and as he's aged he's only gotten more and more disinterested.
He's done after this year no doubt. Probably wishes he never signed the new deal and retired last year. [Reply]
Rodgers and Packer management both deserve blame but winning in the NFL playoffs is hard. Rodgers by wanting to be so highly paid even in his older years encouraged GB to look for an alternative. Green Bay by trading up in the first round to select Love prevented the Packers from drafting another player who may or may not have helped the Packers advance to the SB one of the last 2 seasons.
If he stays healthy enough Mahomes and in the long run many other young quarterbacks will break Brady's passing yardage and TD's records but if Brady retires after this year which he will probably do if another good team doesn't want him or if it will somehow salvage his marriage, I could see Rodgers sticking around long enough to challenge those records and having them until the younger QB's break the records.
The money he is making right now is a lot to turn down. When Rodgers says he won't play a really long time, he just may not want the burden of that commitment in advance and with his public statements, he may just be lowering expectations. [Reply]
Originally Posted by DRM08:
Just saw Aaron’s recent quotes where he’s telling the coaches to bench other players. I cannot imagine Mahomes ever speaking to the media in that way. You praise other people in public and criticize them in private. Bad leadership from Rodgers.
If Rodgers wasn’t so selfish and showed up for all the non-mandatory practices, maybe, just maybe, his young WRs would not be making the mental mistakes that’s his whining about now. With Rodgers choosing to only participate in the mandatory practices, he deserves what he is getting now. [Reply]
Originally Posted by stevegroganfan:
Rodgers and Packer management both deserve blame but winning in the NFL playoffs is hard. Rodgers by wanting to be so highly paid even in his older years encouraged GB to look for an alternative. Green Bay by trading up in the first round to select Love prevented the Packers from drafting another player who may or may not have helped the Packers advance to the SB one of the last 2 seasons.
If he stays healthy enough Mahomes and in the long run many other young quarterbacks will break Brady's passing yardage and TD's records but if Brady retires after this year which he will probably do if another good team doesn't want him or if it will somehow salvage his marriage, I could see Rodgers sticking around long enough to challenge those records and having them until the younger QB's break the records.
The money he is making right now is a lot to turn down. When Rodgers says he won't play a really long time, he just may not want the burden of that commitment in advance and with his public statements, he may just be lowering expectations.
Aaron Rodgers and Lebron James are two peas in a pod. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Wisconsin_Chief:
There really is no "good guy" in this fight. Rodgers rubs a lot of people the wrong way and isn't a great leader or teammate.
The Packers' organization has certainly been at fault as well, as you mentioned. I can't imagine the Chiefs ever allowing Mahomes to go into a season with Bob Tonyan at TE (coming off an injury no less) and a combination of Romeo Doubs & Allen Lazard at WR with aging broke dicks like Sammy Watkins and Randall Cobb for depth. As good as Rodgers has been, I'd argue even #15 wouldn't be able to do too much with that.
This is a train wreck right now, that's for sure.
Mahomes wouldn't be 6-0 with the roster, but I gotta think he'd have figured a thing or two out. [Reply]
So turns out Aaron wasn't full of BS. He's taking some of the blame, and rightly so, but he's spot on about his receivers. They are shitting the bed. Shockingly, Sammy is one of the worst offenders in terms of his route-running. He's running the wrong routes. It's kind of wild, considering that route-running is supposed to be one of his strengths.
But no, this fiasco in GB is not Aaron's fault alone, his personality be damned. His receivers are running really bad routes, they're unable to beat man, and again something Sammy excelled at is now a weakness. But al of that translates into Aaron having to repeatedly throw perfect passes into coverage.
Either the receivers are all shit, and they have terrible study habits, and yet another thing that Sammy was great at is now non-existent apparently. Or, their coaching is atrocious. Or, the play designs are shit. Or they've been playing the best secondaries in the league week after week and getting beat every snap.
Whatever. The Packers' execution is awful at every level, but Aaron is not the main problem in GB. His receivers stink:
