Green Bay Packers: Aaron Rodgers’ future shouldn’t be fretted over
Aaron Rodgers potentially leaving the Green Bay Packers has spawned many conversations after the NFC Championship loss. But his future with the franchise isn’t anything fans should be fretting over.
Make no mistake, losing Aaron Rodgers would be a devastating blow for the Green Bay Packers. Even though general manager Brian Gutekunst drafted for the future after Rodgers by trading up for Jordan Love in 2020 NFL Draft, the truth of the matter is that almost anyone would be a step back from Rodgers. Moreover, the 37-year-old is coming off a campaign that should earn him NFL MVP.
While that may be true, Rodgers sparked a ton of panic and fervor after the NFC Championship Game loss to the Buccaneers when he talked about an uncertain future in Green Bay. Considering the deliberate nature of the quarterback, many wondered if he was heading towards looking for a way out from the Packers.
On Tuesday, however, Rodgers appeared on “The Pat McAfee Show” and seemingly poured cold water on that speculation. He said the following:
"“You know, now obviously after the season that I had, potentially winning an MVP, and we obviously made another good run, I don’t think that there’s any reason why I wouldn’t be back. But, look, there’s not many absolutes, as you guys know in this business. So to make an absolute statement about something that is not an absolute, I didn’t do it. And that’s why it went kind of nuts.”"
That is, indeed, why everyone went nuts. But for a player who, again, is careful with his words in a very obvious capacity, you have to wonder why he would be so willing to light such a fire.
Aaron Rodgers isn’t leaving the Green Bay Packers but that doesn’t mean he can’t posture.
As most people took the future Hall-of-Famer’s comments to mean that he could possibly leave, there was likely another intent with what he said. He mentioned in the same interview on “The Pat McAfee Show” that the comments about uncertain futures in Green Bay referred to the impending free agency of players like Aaron Jones, Corey Linsley and several other key pieces.
That surely played a part in what Rodgers had to say but there’s more to unpack that’s related to that. One of the unfortunately defining themes of the quarterback’s run with the Packers has been the rest of the roster ultimately letting him down. So as critical pieces are set to depart and after a much-maligned offseason haul in 2020, Rodgers is likely sending a message to the front office.
Given his age, Rodgers knows that his window is not yet closed but that it’s nearing that point. For him to get his second Super Bowl ring, he needs the right roster around him for him to succeed. The secondary needs to be bettered, he needs more offensive weapons and so on. He’s likely asking Green Bay’s front office to recognize what he did this season and give him the help he so desires.
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On top of that, Rodgers could also be looking for another contract to end his career on, further posturing to get the Packers to play ball in that regard. So when you take it all into account, there shouldn’t be a reason to fret his future with the Green Bay Packers. Rather, it should be considered a coy call to action sent to the organization.