As it stands, Aaron Rodgers has two choices — collect his full paycheck for 2021, or continue his holdout into the season and forfeit millions of dollars. However, there is an option C for the Packers’ quarterback. Per the terms of this year’s agreement between the NFL and the NFLPA, Rodgers could opt out, skip the season, and prevent the Packers from taking $18.3MM out of his pocket (via PFT).
Players can opt out for any reason, regardless of whether they’ve been deemed as a high risk for COVID-19 complications. The only hitch is that the decision has to be made by Friday, July 2. After that point, it’s irrevocable.
It’s be a bold and unprecedented move on Rodgers’ part. It would also prevent him from attempting an encore of his 2020 MVP season. The Packers continue to say that they will not trade Rodgers under any circumstances, but plenty of people seem to think that they’ll bend. In a recent poll, 25% of PFR readers said that Rodgers will wind up as the Broncos’ Week 1 starter.
“We obviously still feel the same way,” head coach MattLaFleursaid earlier this year. “We want him back in the worst way. I know he knows that. And we’ll continue to work at it each and every day.”
One of the key points in this year’s draft came at No. 9, when the Broncos — who did extensive work on quarterbacks coming in — passed on Justin Fields and Mac Jones to selectPatrick Surtain II. Denver passing on potential long-term starters transpired shortly after new GM George Paton acquired Teddy Bridgewater from the Panthers.
With the Broncos choosing Surtain, Bridgewater and Drew Lock reside as their quarterbacks. They split reps down the middle this offseason and will continue this competition during training camp, when chapter six in the franchise’s post-Super Bowl 50 quarterback saga commences in earnest.
The Broncos have started an NFL-most 10 players at quarterback — counting Phillip Lindsay‘s wildcat snap in the COVID-19-created Kendall Hinton game last season — since Peyton Manning‘s March 2016 retirement. Denver has tried free agency (Case Keenum, the second Brock Osweiler acquisition), the trade market (Joe Flacco, Bridgewater) and the draft (Lock, Paxton Lynch) to fill this spot. The Broncos’ most successful post-Manning season — 2016, when the team went 9-7 — came with 2015 seventh-rounder Trevor Siemian at the controls.
Now on his fifth team, Bridgewater is still just 28 and has a history with Paton. The Vikings drafted the Louisville alum in the 2014 first round, when Paton was working as GM Rick Spielman‘s top lieutenant. The former Jets (briefly), Saints and Panthers quarterback has developed a reputation as a risk-averse passer, and Carolina was eager to jettison him after authorizing a three-year, $63MM deal in 2020. The trade agreement knocked Bridgewater’s 2021 cap hit down to just $4.4MM and made him a 2022 free agent. But Bridgewater makes sense for a team with high-end defensive capabilities, which a healthy Broncos iteration possesses.
Bridgewater finished 17th in QBR last season; Lock ranked 29th. The 2019 second-round pick was often erratic during his second NFL season, tying for the NFL INT lead (15) despite missing three games. Lock, however, was thrust into an unusual spot in 2020 — learning a new offense in a virtual offseason — and lacked top receiver Courtland Suttonfor most of the season. But, with longtime GM John Elway ceding the reins to Paton, Lock’s grace period is over.
The elephant in this room: will the Broncos’ interest inAaron Rodgers be relevant soon? The Broncos have lapped the field in Rodgers rumors, with the Raiders — another team Rodgers is open to joining — comfortable withDerek Carr for the time being. Depending on which skill-position players would be left in Denver after a trade, Rodgers would be equipped with a host of young weapons and a defense positioned to be one of the league’s best.
Even as some around the league wonder if the Packers are bracing for the reigning MVP’s exit, they are holding firm and possess leverage. Despite a return that could feature two or three first-round picks and one or more established young starters, Green Bay is understandably clinging to hopes this situation can be salvaged. The Bengals traded disgruntled QB Carson Palmer in October 2011, after the incumbent had staged a retirement in an effort to leave Cincinnati, and Palmer made nine starts for the Raiders that year. The Broncos likely would be open to a Rodgers in-season arrival, but ideally for them, the Packers begin trade discussions before the season.
Denver passing on Fields also leaves the door open, albeit narrowly, for Deshaun Watson. Twelve years younger than Rodgers, at 25, Watson is believed to be interested in being traded to the Broncos. The team had Watson on its radar as well. Kareem Jackson, conflict of interest notwithstanding, said his former Texans teammate has Denver atop his destination list. The Broncos are believed to prefer Rodgers to Watson, with the latter’s off-field issues undoubtedly factoring into this equation. Watson faces an uncertain future, with the Commissioner’s Exempt List and/or a suspension potentially looming. But if clarity emerges here before the trade deadline, the Broncos — assuming they do not acquire Rodgers — may be back in play for the three-time Pro Bowler.
Will the Broncos end up swinging a trade this year, or will 2022 be the window for such a transaction? Can Bridgewater or Lock seize the job and halt Rodgers and Watson rumors for good? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts on this situation in the comments section.
Coming into the offseason, the Packers’ confidence appeared low in the 2020 first-round pick being prepared to make starts this season. That view seems to have changed, to some degree. Love made progress after handling a busy workload this offseason, Albert Breer of SI.com notes, with the second-year passer making particular strides with his footwork.
The Utah State alum took approximately 90% of the reps in the Packers’ offseason team drills, per Breer. GM Brian Gutekunst indicated the Packers planned to flood their highly drafted backup with work this year, after the COVID-19 pandemic nixed the 2020 offseason program and Love spent the season as Green Bay’s third-string quarterback.
The Packers’ signings of Blake Bortles, Kurt Benkertand Jacob Dolegala do not appear to have affected Love’s reps this offseason. The younger additions stand to serve as training camp arms — in the likely event Rodgers does not show next month — while Bortles would make sense as insurance if Love will not be ready to go in Week 1. For his part, Love expectedly expressed confidence he would be ready to make a Week 1 start.
It goes without saying the Packers want Rodgers to be their starter this season. That happening after Love went through a QB1 offseason would be a bonus for the Packers, for short- and long-term purposes, but nothing has emerged indicating Rodgers will suit up for the team again. If this scenario were to take place, with Rodgers starting every game for the 2021 Green Bay edition, Love would become the first Round 1 quarterback since Rodgers to spend his first two full NFL seasons on the bench. Beyond Rodgers, Brady Quinn‘s three starts from 2007-08 serve as the current basement for a first-round QB through two years in that span.
The Packers have completed their offseason program but have yet to bring Aaron Rodgers back into the fold. Followers of this year’s top NFL storyline can expect to wait a while longer for an end to this impasse.
Rodgers officially became a minicamp holdout last week, incurring more than $93K in fines from missing Green Bay’s mandatory June workouts. Nothing that has surfaced this offseason points to Rodgers budging ahead of training camp, and the Packers appear prepared to wait on more talks until then. No resolution between the parties should be expected ahead of Green Bay’s training camp, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (video link).
Like most teams, Green Bay is scheduled to begin its training camp July 27. The Rodgers holding pattern lasting until then would further drive speculation the reigning MVP will stick to his guns and never play for the Packers again. Team president Mark Murphy made multiple comments over the past month that certainly did not help the situation with the disgruntled superstar, indicating this standoff has divided the Packers’ fan base. He also quoted the late Ted Thompson by calling Rodgers a “complicated fella” last week. The idea that the Packers are bracing for Rodgers’ departure has surfaced around the league, John Clayton of 104.3 The Fan Denver notes.
Rodgers’ latest salvo came during an interview to promote his upcoming appearance on TNT’s The Match. The three-time MVP’s “I’m Offended” T-shirt and his alluding to Matt LaFleur‘s decision not to go for it on the Packers’ crucial fourth-and-goal try late in the NFC championship game came after Murphy’s comments (via Bleacher Report, on Twitter). Rodgers’ one-liner also came a few weeks after he said philosophical differences between he and Packers management created this divide.
Training camp will represent this duel’s next phase. The Packers can fine Rodgers $50K for each day he misses. While this holdout is not believed to involve money, the Packers’ last-ditch hope may be a bet Rodgers will be unwilling to sit out one of his final prime years. The franchise could take this feud the distance by refusing to trade Rodgers and then unloading him in 2022, when Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes teams beyond the Broncos and Raiders may be interested. Rodgers’ value could go up if more teams enter the fray in 2022, but a trade for a 38-year-old quarterback who just missed a full season may also feature reduced compensation compared to what the Packers could receive by dealing him on the heels of an MVP season. It is hard see the Raiders not joining the Broncos in a Rodgers derby this year, were one to take place, but they are not presently believed to be interested.
The longer the Packers wait would also cut into time Rodgers would have to learn another team’s offense, but trade talks are not believed to have taken place in several weeks. This situation may pause for the next five.
The big story of this NFL offseason has been the Aaron Rodgers drama in Green Bay. Depending on how things shake out, the Jordan Love Packers era could start in as early as a few months.
There have been reports that team brass didn’t think Love was particularly close to being ready to start last year, but the Utah State product sounds confident heading into 2021. “A hundred percent,” Love said when asked if he’ll be ready to start come Week 1, via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com.
“Obviously, this is a time where I’m getting a lot of extremely valuable reps that I might not have been getting in a normal circumstance. So I’m just going to take it day by day. … But yeah, that’s what I’m here for. I was drafted here to play quarterback, so I’ll definitely be ready Week 1.”
Love, of course, was referring to Rodgers’ holdout from the team’s mandatory minicamp. The 26th pick of last year’s draft also interestingly revealed that he’s stayed in touch with Rodgers this offseason. In fact, Demovsky reports that Love said he spoke with Rodgers shortly before arriving in Green Bay for OTAs.
A lot of Rodgers’ beef with the Packers reportedly stems from the process of selecting Love, which he wasn’t in the loop for, but he apparently hasn’t let that effect his relationship with his young potential successor.
Demovsky writes that Love has been hot and cold so far, struggling one day then having stretches of brilliance the next. Despite being in contact Love said he has no idea what Rodgers is going to do, and that he was “surprised” he elected to skip minicamp.
Despite getting drafted in 2020, Love won’t turn 23 until November. At this point, it seems like there’s a good chance he’s thrown into the fire before then.
As expected, Aaron Rodgers did not report for the start of Packers’ minicamp on Tuesday. He’s now officially holding out as the saga continues between him and the Brian Gutekunst-led front office.
Rodgers has already passed on $500K of bonuses by missing the team’s voluntary work. Now, he could potentially lose $93K for each day of the three-day minicamp. However, the Packers are thinking about waiving the fines in an effort to smooth things over with their franchise star.
Still, Rodgers’ stance has not changed. The reigning MVP wants to take his talents elsewhere, which would leave 2020 first-round pick Jordan Loveor Blake Bortles as the No. 1 QB in Green Bay. Gutekunst, president Mark Murphy, and head coach Matt LaFleur say that won’t happen. So, with that, Rodgers has officially begun his holdout.
It’d be a shock to see Rodgers extend his holdout through Week 1. But, if he does, it’ll be costly. If he stays home all year, the 37-year-old will forfeit his $14.7MM salary, $6.8MM roster bonus, and be forced to refund $23MM of his signing bonus.
None of the Packers’ offseason overtures to Aaron Rodgers have swayed the reigning MVP. He is not expected to attend the team’s minicamp this week, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
This certainly is not a surprise, and fines for Rodgers will not eclipse $100K. The Packers have discussed classifying Rodgers’ minicamp absence as excused, which would waive the five-figure fine he would otherwise incur. Rodgers has already passed up a chance to collect a $500K workout bonus, making a fine in the $93K range rather paltry. The Packers begin their three-day minicamp Tuesday.
The future Hall of Fame quarterback has told teammates he no longer wants to play for the Packers. While this standoff became known just before the draft, Rodgers has been unhappy with the team throughout the offseason. Packers president Mark Murphy, GM Brian Gutekunst and HC Matt LaFleur each made multiple plane trips to meet with Rodgers — in an effort to diffuse this situation and steer back to Green Bay — but the 13-year Packers QB1 has not budged.
Although the Packers drafted Jordan Lovein 2020, Rodgers remains Green Bay’s no-doubt preference to start in 2021. He has said on multiple occasions this offseason his 2020 MVP season threw a wrench into the Packers’ QB plans. Rodgers said last year the Love pick likely made it unrealistic he would finish his career with the Packers. As Rodgers’ quest to exit Green Bay enters the summer, this minicamp will be the first mandatory Packers activity he will have skipped.
The June 1 date, after which Rodgers’ contract can be more easily moved, has not seemed to affect this stalemate. Gutekunst remains entrenched on his no-trade stance, and his strong-willed quarterback has not moved off his desire to leave. Rodgers’ statement during his late-May interview with Kenny Mayne pointed to discontent with Gutekunst and Murphy, citing philosophical differences, and the team president said recently this saga has divided the team’s fan base.
The Packers still appear confident Rodgers will back down, with a recent report indicating they would trade the 17th-year veteran if they were truly convinced he is set on never playing for the team again. A lucrative trade package — from the Broncos or perhaps a stealth AFC suitor — would certainly come Green Bay’s way in this event. For the time being, however, the standoff persists. Love will have a chance to work with the first-string receivers, who plan to show for minicamp after skipping OTAs, beginning Tuesday. Should Rodgers stick to his guns and wage a training camp holdout, this week would provide a preview for how the Packers’ offense will look come late July.
Aaron Rodgers probably won’t be on hand when the Packers start their mandatory minicamp on Tuesday. As a result, the Packers could fine him ~$93K per day. However, they’re thinking about issuing him an excused absence, which would mean no fines for the star quarterback (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter).
“The situation we face with Aaron Rodgers has divided our fan base,” Packers President/CEO MarkMurphysaid earlier this month. “The emails and letters that I’ve received reflect this fact…We remain committed to resolving things with Aaron and want him to be our quarterback in 2021 and beyond. We are working to resolve the situation and realize that the less both sides say publicly, the better.”
Ultimately, the Packers hold the leverage. If the club refuses to deal Rodgers, the 37-year-old passer would miss out on his $14.7MM salary and $6.8MM roster bonus for 2021. He’d also have to pay back $23MM in unearned signing bonus money. If the stalemate continues, the Packers will be left to pick from the still-green Jordan Love and Blake Bortles under center.
It doesn’t sound like the standoff between the Packers and Aaron Rodgers will be ending any time soon. We learned recently that the organization is holding firm on their stance they will not trade their 13-year starting quarterback, and Packers President/CEO MarkMurphy reinforced that sentiment in a column on the team website.
“The situation we face with Aaron Rodgers has divided our fan base,”Murphy wrote. “The emails and letters that I’ve received reflect this fact. As I wrote here last month, we remain committed to resolving things with Aaron and want him to be our quarterback in 2021 and beyond. We are working to resolve the situation and realize that the less both sides say publicly, the better.”
We learned earlier this week that Rodgers is very likely to push his Wisconsin exit strategy into the late summer, with Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports noting some close to the future Hall of Famer insist nothing has changed for him; Rodgers remains adamant he will not return to the Packers. The Packer are hoping they’ll call Rodgers’ bluff, although a a Carson Palmer-style pseudo-retirement has entered the equation.
With Rodgers having rebounded from multiple unremarkable seasons to win his third MVP, the 37-year-old passer has considerable trade value at this point. A realistic trade package is believed to require multiple first-round picks and one or multiple established starters. With or without a quarterback coming back in a trade, the Packers can be expected to land a haul for Rodgers — if they decide to entertain offers.
The Lionshave shown some interest in signing two-time All-Pro running back Todd Gurley. It’s not clear if he’s still on the radar after their meeting last week, but Georgia alum D’Andre Swift would be happy to welcome him to Detroit’s backfield.
“Knowledge. Experience,” Swift said when asked how he would benefit from playing with Gurley (via USA Today). “I’d be happy if he come here as well. I just want to compete with these guys. Just to have him in the building, that’d be good.”
Aside from their college connection, Gurley also has familiarity with the Lions’ new GM. Gurley’s best years in L.A. overlapped with Brad Holmes‘ Rams tenure, including 2,500+ rushing yards between 2017 and 2018. He’s been slowed by knee trouble ever since, but he could be an interesting partner for Swift now that Kerryon Johnson and Adrian Peterson are out of the picture.
Here’s more from the NFC North:
Packers left tackle David Bakhtiari is ahead of schedule as he returns from last year’s season-ending ACL tear (via Matt Schneidman of The Athletic). “He’s really working hard. I think he came back and he’s in excellent shape. We’re just going to take it one day at a time,” head coach Matt LaFleur said. “I think he’s a little bit ahead of schedule but then again there’s a long way to the start of the season. We’ll see where he’s at when it comes to that time.” Pro Football Focus ranked Bakhtiari as the league’s No. 2 tackle last year before his December injury. So, regardless of which quarterback he’s protecting, the Packers are counting on his presence.
Speaking of which, Packers running back Aaron Jones says he didn’t chat with Aaron Rodgers about the QB’s plans before inking his extension (Twitter link via Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette). “This is home,” Jones said. “This is where I love to be.”
