The friction between Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers has been going on for a while, but the news didn’t come to light until last week. And it looks like we know what’s the problem between the two sides. According to Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports, Rodgers is adamant he won’t return to the Packers as long as general manager Brian Gutekunst remains at his position. And in order to show that he’s serious, Rodgers could possibly not show up for offseason workouts, hold out during training camp or just retire.
The reason Rodgers has a problem with Gutekunst has to do with what happened in the 2020 NFL Draft. The Packers traded up in the first round to select Jordan Love to be the next starting quarterback. The Packers didn’t notify Rodgers about the move, and Rodgers believed it was Gutekunst’s plan to trade him after the 2020 season, according to Robinson. However, with Rodgers winning the MVP award for the third time in his career and leading the Packers to the NFC Championship Game for the second consecutive season, those plans were changed.
Videos by PopCulture.com
Gutekunst spoke to reporters after the first round and this year’s draft and said they are not trading Rodgers. “We’ve been working through this for a little while now, and I just think it may take some time,” Gutekunst said. “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.”
And when it comes to the addition of Love, Gutekunst there could have been better communication. “I certainly look back to last year’s draft and just kind of maybe some of the communication issues we could have done better,” Gutekunst said. “There’s no doubt about it. The draft’s an interesting thing. It can kind of unfold differently than you think it’s going to unfold, and it happens pretty fast. But certainly, I think, looking back on it sitting where we sit today there could have been some communication things we did better.”
Rodgers has three more years left on his current contract. He is 37 years old and will turn 38 in December, but Rodgers is still playing at a high level. Along with leading the Packers to the conference title game in 2020, Rodgers threw for 4,299 yards, 48 touchdowns and five interceptions with a 121.5 passer rating.
