Aaron Rodgers finally addressed his reported rift with the Green Bay Packers during Saturday’s Kentucky Derby. While he didn’t speak on camera, Rodgers told NBC Sports Mike Tirico that he was not happy with the news leaking out.
According to Ian Rapoport on Twitter, Tirico relayed that Rodgers seemed disappointed by the situation during their off-camera conversation. “He expressed a couple of times how much he loves Green Bay, loves the fans, loves the franchise,” Tirico said. “There is a chasm between management and the reigning NFL MVP.”
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The full quote from NBC’s @miketirico after a conversation with still-#Packers QB Aaron Rodgers off camera at the Kentucky Derby. pic.twitter.com/WT5CbE9hWj
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 1, 2021
Recent reports on the situation indicated that at least seven teams are on the list for trade destinations, but Rodgers limited that to just three teams. PFT reported that Rodgers would only approve a trade to San Francisco, Denver or Las Vegas with the Raiders. Trey Wingo also added that the Packers reportedly wanted to trade Rodgers in the offseason but backed out, leaving the Draft to be a hotspot for any potential roster move.
“We’ve been working through this for a little while now, and I just think it may take some time,” Packers GM Brian Gutekunst said, according to ESPN. “But he’s a guy that kind of makes this thing go. He gives us the best chance to win, and we’re going to work towards that end.”
The 49ers reportedly already inquired about Rodgers, joining rumors that the Los Angeles Rams also sought information on a potential trade, with Rams GM Les Snead refusing to confirm the reports.
For Rodgers, it is a frustrating career crossroads, but his personal life is the polar opposite. Not only did the star QB make a splash as guest host on Jeopardy! earlier in the month, he shocked everybody by revealing he was engaged while accepting the MVP award the night before the Super Bowl. His relationship with Shailene Woodley seemed to come out of nowhere, but it is hard to deny the connection between the two.
“So it’s kind of funny. Everybody right now is freaking out over it and we’re like, ‘Yeah, we’ve been engaged for a while,” Woodley said during a Tonight Show interview. “He’s, first off, just a wonderful, incredible human being. But I never thought I’d be engaged with somebody who threw balls for a living. Like, I never thought as a little girl … ‘Yeah, when I grow up, I’m gonna marry someone who throws balls! Yeah!’ But he’s really just so good at it.”
