The Green Bay Packers continue to work things out with Aaron Rodgers. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, who appeared on SportsCenter Thursday morning (via Bleacher Report), the Packers recently had discussions with Rodgers ahead of the opt-out deadline, Which is Friday, July 2. Fowler said the talks between Rodgers and the Packers are “early” and there has been “nothing substantial” as of now.
If Rodgers were to opt out, he would not play for the Packers this season and not have to pay back his $11.5 million signing bonus as well as his $6.8 million roster bonus. However, it’s not likely Rodgers would make a bold move like that because that would mean he wouldn’t be able to play for any team in 2021 if he wanted to be traded. In April, Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that Rodgers told people in the Packers organization that he wasn’t returning to the team because he was frustrated with the front office. Rodgers talked about his situation with Kenny Mayne on SportsCenter in May and revealed that it has nothing to do with the team drafting quarterback Jordan Love in the first round last year.
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“With my situation, look it’s never been about the draft pick, picking Jordan,” Rodgers told Mayne. “I love Jordan; he’s a great kid. [We’ve had] a lot of fun to work together. Love the coaching staff, love my teammates, love the fan base in Green Bay. An incredible 16 years. It’s just kind of about a philosophy and maybe forgetting that it is about the people that make the thing go. It’s about character, it’s about culture, it’s about doing things the right way.”
Rodgers didn’t attend any offseason workouts, including the team’s mandatory minicamp. It’s not clear if he will report to training camp, which will be on July 27. Rodgers has been with the Packers since 2005 and has emerged as one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history. He led the Packers to a Super Bowl win in 2010 and has won the NFL MVP award three times. But Packers president Mark Murphy had an interesting way to describe Rodgers.
“I’m often reminded though of Ted Thompson, as most of you know, just a great general manager, passed away this past year, or excuse me earlier this year,” Murphy said last month at an event at Lambeau Field. “[He] often talked about Aaron, that he’s a… and it wasn’t just Aaron, a lot of different players. He would say ‘He’s a complicated fella.’ So, I’ll just say that.”
