Aaron Rodgers‘ record-breaking four-year, $200MM extension was intended to provide the QB with flexibility on a year-by-year basis. While Rodgers could theoretically walk away from the deal and join another organization, general manager Brian Gutekunst is naturally hoping the franchise QB will spend the rest of his career in Green Bay.
[RELATED: Aaron Rodgers’ Last Season In Green Bay?]
“We’d certainly like to,” Gutekunst said when asked if he believes Rodgers will retire with the Packers (via Ryan Wood of PackersNews.com). “I think that’s certainly one of the goals of his. I don’t want to speak for him, but I think that was kind of part of the scenario we thought when we moved through this process.”
At one point last year, it sounded like Rodgers’ tenure with the Packers was about to come to an end. However, as Gutekunst detailed, the organization worked with the quarterback to resolve any differences while also making sure to provide the player with his space.
“We had a lot of conversations right after the season,” Gutekunst said, “and he kind of took some time to go through things and make sure that he wanted to commit to the significant time and effort he puts into preparing for the season. Once he got through that, that time, I think we found out probably shortly before the rest of the world found out.”
Gutekunst also explained how he made an effort to better involve Rodgers in transactions, and that especially included the blockbuster trade of Davante Adams. Ultimately, Adams was dealt to the Raiders for a first- and second-round pick, and the GM was sure there was no way to change his wideout’s mind regarding his desire to play elsewhere.
“Not at the end of the day,” Gutekunst said (via Wood). “Those are really tough decisions. To lose a player of his caliber, and what he’s done for the organization, those are hard decisions and hard things to move on from. At the same time, I think once we got through the discussions with Davante after the season, this is what was best for the organization and Davante going forward.”
Lol trade rumors is STILL reporting that the deal was 4 years for $200 million? Y’all can’t seriously be this bad at your jobs, right?
I think Rodgers is one of the top 5 quarterbacks of all time but at what point do you just say “ok let’s start over. Trade him. Get a haul.” The Packers just seems like everything they do is to placate Aaron. I’m not a packers fan and Packers fans probably totally disagree but from afar it just seems like that team needs a reboot.
Fantasy GM-ing this they could have traded him for a Wilson-like return and with the return they got for Adams being what it was they could have used picks for a Jimmy G or Baker trade, signed a guy like Beasley or Landry, move on another high catch % pass catcher as well.
Use draft picks on best available this year. Use cap savings to extend Jenkins and Alexander long term.
In that division you’re still the division champs.
I actually thought the logical option was to make a trade and basically start over on offense. It’d make even more sense with the Adams situation (hindsight of course). With 3 first rounders this year (plus extra seconds and possibly more) they could have reloaded pretty nicely..depending on how the QB situation plays out. ’22 might be rough, but they could be ready to compete again in ’23.
Because they realistically are still competing for a title. (Yes they can’t stop choking once they get to the playoffs.) However their division is currently pretty easy with 2 terrible teams and 1 ho hum team and they have snagged the top seed in nfc back to back years. Add into the fact the dude is back to back MVP and I can see why they will run it back again. (Yes, we know, they will have to stop choking in the playoffs.)
With that said, if the team struggles this year, then I think they blow it all up and trade ARod or he retires.
It looks like Rodgers for all his carping over the years (and with Mike McCarthy as your boss for ten years, I can’t blame Rodgers for carping) might intend to retire a Packer.
If the Packers pick up a premiere wideout in the first round of the draft, the 2023 version should not be much worse than the number one seed 2022 version.
What to do about those playoff performances though? No one knows.
Address special teams. Prior to 2021 the Packers defense had let up an astonishing 34 points per game in playoff losses.
For all the heat on Rodgers people tend to forget that absolute fact.
Last season’s debacle clearly a special teams nightmare. Couple that with a season long deficiency for WRs not named Adams.
The 49ers schemed to remove Adams from the game and after the first drive they really did just that leaving guys who aren’t #2 or even #3 receivers to pick up the slack.
Several two hands on ball drops and a fumble in that game cost them the game almost as much as the special teams did.
The defense has been addressed, they need deeper targets for Rodgers and special teams corrections. Looks like special teams has been the focus but that still leaves a tremendous gap at WR this year.
I live 30 mins from Lambeau, I enjoy every packer game and sit in the bleachers for their practices, but I, like many up here, am done with this story line.
Same here. Best you can do is ignore these stories because speculation will continue.
The Packers think he’s going to play forever