The Aaron Rodgers saga in Green Bay just continues to get more interesting.
In April, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Rodgers’ issues with management had made it so that he no longer wanted to return to the organization.
Sources told ESPN that general manager Brian Gutekunst and head coach Matt LaFleur each flew out to meet with Rodgers, hoping to solve the issues between the organization and the three-time MVP. The meetings appear to have been fruitless.
On Tuesday, Schefter reported that the Packers offered Rodgers a two-year extension in the offseason, which would have made him the highest player in football. Rodgers declined the offer.
“This off-season, the Packers offered Aaron Rodgers a two-year contract extension that would have tied him to Green Bay for five more seasons and made him the highest-paid QB and player in football,” Schefter reported. “Rodgers declined the offer, proof it’s not about the money.”
This off-season, the Packers offered Aaron Rodgers a two-year contract extension that would have tied him to Green Bay for five more seasons and made him the highest-paid QB and player in football.
Rodgers declined the offer, proof it’s not about the money.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 20, 2021
“It’s not about football. It’s not just about the money, it certainly isn’t about football,” ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith said on Tuesday. “The Green Bay Packers were 13-3 in back-to-back years under Matt LaFleur as the head coach. They went to back-to-back NFC Championship Games which means they were part of the final four for two consecutive years … This is not about football. This is about the way the Green Bay Packers have treated their star player. They have disregarded him, they’ve dismissed him, they have minimized him, they’ve disrespected him.”
Rodgers’ discontent with the organization seemingly began when the Packers traded up in the 2020 NFL Draft to select quarterback Jordan Love out of Utah State. Rodgers was reportedly not informed of the decision before the pick was made, leading many to believe that his days in Green Bay were numbered.
“With my situation, look, it’s never been about the draft pick, picking Jordan,” Rodgers said on SportsCenter in May. “I love Jordan; he’s a great kid. [It’s been] 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.”
Packers training camp begins Wednesday, July 28, and it’s still unclear whether Rodgers will report.
While in between rounds at the American Century Championship golf event in July, Rodgers was asked about his football future.
“Well, I’m going to enjoy the hell out of this week,” Rodgers said when asked of his plans for the season. “And then I’m gonna get back to working out and figure things out in a couple weeks.”
Rodgers is coming off one the best seasons of his career, winning his third MVP and leading the Packers to the NFC Championship Game. But the nine-time Pro Bowler has only one Lombardi Trophy in Green Bay, a disappointment considering he’s arguably the most gifted quarterback in the league.
If Rodgers does in fact ask out of Green Bay, teams will be lining up for his services.
Benjamin Allbright — NFL analyst and radio host — reported in early June that Rodgers had turned down an extension worth “more than $40 million annually.”
“He definitely wants to be in Denver,” Allbright told The Daily Wire. “But the process for getting there is still complicated because Green Bay is not showing a willingness to move.”
Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to [email protected].
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.