The Aaron Rodgers Situation

What is it about the Green Bay Packers and Hall of Fame quarterbacks reaching the end of their careers?  First it was Brett Favre whose Packers career ended unceremoniously.  Now it's the man who replaced him in Green Bay--Aaron Rodgers.  We still have no idea how this saga will play out, but Rodgers has been pretty vocal about his unhappiness and has demanded a trade, with Denver his preferred destination.

Of course, we probably should've seen this coming.  Rodgers made it known that he didn't agree with Head Coach Matt LaFleur's decison to kick a field goal late in the fourth quarter of the NFC Championship Game, giving the ball back to Brady up five instead of going for the touchdown and two-point conversion to tie.  As we all know, the Packers never got the ball back.  Tampa Bay ran out the clock, and Rodgers lost ANOTHER NFC Championship Game.  This time at home, adding to the sting.

That wasn't the first time he didn't agree with the team's decision-making.  He's been questioning personnel moves for a while now and clearly isn't on the same page as management about the direction of the team.  It's clearly started to take its toll.

Despite this, Rodgers is as great as he's ever been.  He had arguably his best season in 2020, when he won his third MVP.  However, it's been a decade since his only Super Bowl appearance.  The NFC Championship Game losses keep mounting, and that's clearly frustrating.  Especially since the Packers are still capable of being Super Bowl contenders.  As long as everybody's on the same page, that is.  Which they are not.

Whether Rodgers gets traded or not will be the conversation that dominates the next few months.  The Packers are the ones who hold the leverage.  They're under no obligation to trade him.  If they can work a deal that's favorable to all sides, great!  But if not, they can always call his bluff.  After all, Rodgers has limited options if the Packers don't trade him.

If they don't trade him, Rodgers can really only do one of two things.  He can return to Green Bay or he can pull an Andrew Luck and retire after training camp has already started.  Which is actually a plausible scenario. 

His Jeopardy! guest-hosting gig went well, and he hasn't been shy about his desire to get the job full-time.  He can't host Jeopardy! and play quarterback in the NFL at the same time, though.  Each job requires so much time that it would be impossible to do both.  Jeopardy! won't name the new host until the summer, though, and you'd have to think Rodgers is being seriously considered.  If he gets the job, it's very realistic that his frustration with the Packers will lead to him simply retiring from the NFL to become the new host of Jeopardy!

This is vastly different than what happened with Favre, though.  With Favre, it was the Packers who were frustrated.  They were tired of the annual "will he or won't he" regarding Favre's retirement, and they had Rodgers waiting in the wings.  This time, it's Rodgers who's frustrated.  And there is no heir apparent ready and waiting to take over.

Rodgers obviously figures into the Packers' plans for 2021.  They don't really have a Plan B at quarterback.  They didn't take one in the Draft and third-year pro Jordan Love is the only other QB listed on their roster.  Could they swing a trade to a team like San Francisco where they simply swap quarterbacks the way the Rams and Lions did with Stafford and Goff?  Sure!  But Aaron Rodgers is still their best option at the quarterback position in 2021.

Likewise, Rodgers should be careful what he wishes for.  This is a point Colin Cowherd made the other day, and I agree with him.  Because as much as he might like the situation in Denver, his best chance at getting to the Super Bowl still lies in Green Bay.  So, if he wants to get back to another Super Bowl (which he obviously does), it might be worth it to suck it up and stay a Packer.

It really could be a matter of whether the situation is fixable or not.  Is the relationship broken beyond repair?  If so, then divorce may be the only option.  And that divorce would have to happen via trade, since he doesn't become a free agent until 2024 (he does have an opt-out in 2022, but it's unclear whether that's before or after the season).  There's absolutely no chance they'll release him because of all the dead cap space it would create.

Another thing I can see happening is him playing for Green Bay this season, then them coming to some sort of agreement on a buyout that will allow him to become a free agent.  Then he can go wherever he wants, which obviously worked for that guy who just beat him in the NFC Championship Game!  And, speaking of Brady, we didn't know how unhappy he was in New England until he left.  With Rodgers, we at least know.  He's not happy!

One thing's for sure, though.  This isn't the end of this story.  Not by a long shot.  It'll likely consume most of the offseason until a decision's made one way or the other.  And it should.  Because it's not everyday the MVP is openly involved in active trade talks, the results of which will impact much more than just the Green Bay Packers and whoever their trade partner is.

Some people think it's telling that the NFL has stopped using the "Rodgers vs. Mahomes" Packers-Chiefs matchup as part of its promotion for the schedule release on Wednesday.  I don't.  Because my hunch is that Aaron Rodgers will still be a member of the Green Bay Packers next season.  Either that or the host of Jeopardy!