“Perhaps the most appropriate way to characterize Rodgers’ 17-year career is post-season loser.”
Those were the final words of Bob McGinn’s blunt assessment of the Green Bay Packers quarterback. While Rodgers did lock up a fourth MVP, the latest hardware rings pretty hollow in his trophy case. Again, a season ended with playoff disappointment. This loss to the San Francisco 49ers was particularly listless, too. Whatever agreement Rodgers and Green Bay reached ahead of the 2021 season gave him the freedom to seek a trade in 2022. The ball’s in his court and, clearly, the Packers are doing everything they can to keep him.
The organization made it public it’ll pay him handsomely and even hired his old pal, Tom Clements, as quarterbacks coach. Green Bay isn’t shopping Rodgers but that’d obviously if the quarterback refuses to play for the team.
Essentially, there are two options at the moment:
Continue to do everything humanly possible for Rodgers to want to return an 18th season. Beg. Plead. Call. Text. Text again. Text a third time. Call once more. Hire Clements. Let Rodgers sign more of his buddies, like Randall Cobb, with a cozy seat right at that personnel table. Promise him his own street name off Oneida. Whatever.
Move on. Declare that Rodgers will only take you so far, rip the Band-Aid off and embrace a boatload of draft picks. Trading away an MVP may sound preposterous but the Packers could use that money to build on what’s a damn good defense and, finally, prepare for the future.
I’ve gotten the sense in this space that a lot of fans are ready to transition to a new era, take the draft picks, and start over given a decade of playoff losses. But, let’s hear it. He is the MVP. Maybe you like the Packers’ current approach.
All of these comments and thoughts are fascinating. Thanks for taking the time, everyone. Love it when we get a good dialogue going here. Will weigh in with a few thoughts here tomorrow morn. Chatting with a few people around the league on this to get a feel.
Move on. Part of the thrill of being a sports fan is the "unknown". With Rodgers, it's almost certain that my fall/winter Sundays will be invested in watching a team stroll the the NFCN title and then flop in the playoffs. It's been that way for a decade and it's unlikely to change. He can't play in the cold any more. Along the way of course, we'll have to endure his weekly pontifications with McAfee where he gets to show the world how much smarter he is than the rest of us. The guy's so pompous. Give me a bunch of picks and some young guys that we can watch develop and root for. Case in point: I'm more excited to see what Stokes and Gary will do next year than what Rodgers would bring to the table. Maybe it will be terrible, maybe not. But that's part of being a fan.
Expecting a different “all-in” result for 2022 with Rogers at QB may be the classic definition of insanity. Let him achieve the best INT and QB rating in NFL history playing for somebody else. He cannot surpass Brady using SB results as the preferred measure for being considered the GOAT. Establishing all-time records for certain statistical categories including total MVPs is all he has left for making his own indelible mark on NFL history. At best, he will still be only the second or third best QB in Packer history, let alone the entire NFL.
Personally I’m ready to move on. How many teams get an opportunity to jumpstart their future with a haul of draft picks? The team is good enough that even with a mediocre QB they can compete in the NFC North, and hope they get hot in the postseason (which is the same thing we do with Rodgers).
Part of me is sick of Rodgers from the personal perspective. From his Covid debacle and misinformation to his laid back approach on game day. Sure there’s fire when he’s yelling at a young TE/WR when they run a route he didn’t like, but you never get the feeling that this game is the most important thing in Rodgers life. It’s tough to compare Rodgers to Brady, but with Brady you saw the fire, you saw the drive, you saw the “this means everything” competitiveness in him. Seems like Rodgers is focused on his buddies and trying to convince others that he’s some super smart, elevated individual who transcends “normal” knowledge. He’s a damn good quarterback, but it doesn't mean he’s the smartest/coolest guy in the room.
The other side is football. We’re back to the Favre scenario of being left out to squirm wondering whether Rodgers is going to throw the Packers under the bus. Rodgers plays for the Packers, not the other way around. He’s one Joe Rogan podcast from retiring mid season because there’s an internet article that being within a mile of a beer causes cancer. I’m prepared the Packers may suck for five years. But that time is going to come regardless of when Rodgers leaves/retires. Why not put yourself in the best position to come out of those 2-5 years of sucking with a competitive team for the next 10-12 years?
People are still trying to frame things as the Packers should “Put all their chips on the table”. That is what they did last year. The chips have been gambled and they lost. Whether Rodgers stays or goes, their financial situation is bloated well beyond the salary cap and they have many players with expiring contracts. The team of 2022 will need to have many players with low salaries just so they can be under the cap. Just to answer the posed question, I would move on from Rodgers. He has put himself above the team and that is a dangerous dynamic.
I grew up listening to Lombardi's teams on the radio, watched the ice bowl live on a black and white in an overcrowded UW dorm lounge, then took my kids to their first Packer's game - LeRoy Butler's first Lambeau Leap game when he ran in that lateral from Reggie White against the hapless frozen Raiders. We, my kids and I, are all Packer fans......not Rodgers fans, or even Fauve fans for that matter. Green Bay is Title Town, not MVP Town. Let's get the focus back on winning the Packer's 14th championship. Let's get those draft picks and see if we can pick up a title in the next few years.
I cant believe the front office is even considering bringing him back, let alone bending over backwards for him. Remember last summer when they bent over backwards for him just for him to hold a press conference trashing the front office for 20 minutes straight? What world are we living in? It's like the front office, and many fans, are suffering from Stockholm Syndrome. This organization needs a return to sanity before they let this guy drive them right off the cliff.
It’s all on Rodgers not the Packers They already are doing all they can to keep him and if he says he wants to stay and sign an extension and retire in Green Bay they have to do it even though I would prefer they don’t.
I actually believe rodgers is manipulative enough that he is going to say I want to stay One more year only and then I will decide what I want to do next year after next year. His goal is to be a true free agent after next year.
That way he hopes he can be the good guy to packer fans ( I wanted to stay) if/when they trade him which they almost certainly would. Haul might be less if he says not sure if I am playing more than one year.
What direction is the wind blowing today? I could go either way, but the final decision, to me, concerns MLF. If Rodgers’ exit means he’s not sticking around, that makes my decision. Otherwise, I’m 50:50. If we let go of Rodgers, I want enough draft capital to trade up to 1 overall if Love fizzles year 1.
I keep coming back to the old Branch Rickey quote; especially when we're considering a player who will be 39 next year. Father time is undefeated. "Trade a player a year too early than a year too late."
Doesn't Rodgers hold veto power over any trade? I can't imagine him wanting to face the young guns in the AFC so it looks like we're going to have to reload which is what you do. But I want no more drama. Just milk toast and wins ala Brady.
I read a lot of the comments on here and to the ones that say keep him and Adams I ask you is killing your future worth one or 2 more years of one and done playoff losses? Also every year we make the playoffs means we getting a lower draft pick, hard to rebuild when your drafting in the mid 20's every year. Now for the guy that said if we trade him to the Broncos we will end up with mid to high draft picks must not look at the other teams in the NFL. He would have to go against the likes of Maholmes twice a year, Herbert twice a year and the Raiders twice a year. Not the Bears Lions and Vikings. So I can see them with low teens draft picks we would get including #9 next year. Next year besides that division they get the Rams, Titans, 49ers, Cards and Seahawks, oh ya and Baltimore and the Colts. So tell me again how it would be a cake walk for the Broncos and force us to get late draft picks?
I am surprised that the responses are so strongly in favor of moving on. I guess Tyler draws smart fans to his site. But, clearly the Packer organization sees this differently. Read some place Gutey is not even having discussions with other GM's about a possible deal. You'd think he would listen just in case.
He'll be thirty-nine by the time the next playoffs come around THIRTY-NINE. And he's been talking about how much he'd like to run a game show.
Move on and get a bunch of cheap, young, talented guys through the draft. It's easier to win with a good/seasoned QB, but it's not the only way to win. If Love doesn't work out, use one of your many picks to grab someone who does.
The NFL is weird; the key thing is that you're hot at the end, not that you're super dominant all year long. As long as you make the playoffs, anyone can win, a seen when the 9-7 packers won it all and the 9ers were a dropped pick from going this year. The one thing that ensures that you won't win the super bowl is if you're sooooo bad that you can't get into the playoffs and that's what happens when teams overpay on old guys and have to cut their vets. The Ted Thomson model of "make sure we're never horrible" is the right approach. THE SWEET SPOT FOR WINNING is to have a young, good-enough, CHEAP QB so you can afford to pay lots of pieces around him. Once it's time for him to get paid, it's a lot harder. Going "all in" for one long-shot year and giving away five future years is a recipe for not winning for six straight years.
There are excellent points for keeping him or trading him and ALL signs point to a huge effort to keep him so lets look at why that is the case and the answer is pretty basic, it is because they see Jordan Love practice everyday, remember when Cousin's tested positive and could not play below are Mike Zimmer's remarks on their recently drafted "potential starter";
When asked if he "wanted to get a look at Mond" next week in the season finale against the Chicago Bears, Zimmer coldly responded with "Not particularly." When asked to clarify why, he stated "I see him every day."
You don't need to be a rocket scientist to see why the big push by the team to keep Rodgers is so apparent.
Move on. Past is prologue and there is NO evidence for 10+ years that he will play at a high level during the post season when needed most. In divisional weekend this year he 7th of the 8 QBs on the field with only dreadful Tannehill worse. Just think of the Rams game winning drive. Stafford came thru *when he was needed to most*. Save for the Cowboys Jared Cook game, 12 literally never does. He can’t do it. He won’t do it. Take your lumps with JLo next yr and build a top 3 defense to carry you.
I'm ready to trade him and begin the rebuild process. If Rodgers was a couple of years younger, maybe I would hold on to him, but he isn't. If they keep him, the 2022 Packers will have less veteran depth, an aging starting QB, an even more bloated cap, and a likely much more difficult rebuild. Rodgers is a declining asset. If you sign him to a huge contract and he gets injured, the disaster will ham string the team talent and cap wise for a number of years; and it appears that he cannot play in the cold any longer. If traded the draft choices and any other talent received will help strengthen an otherwise solid roster, and we get a chance to see if Love has the ability of becoming a starter. And we also put ourselves in a position to trade and multiply our draft capital for the 2023 draft which should be more QB rich. It is incumbent on a GM to look at the future of a franchise just as much as the immediate season. If I thought GB could win a SB with Rodgers, I might think twice about trading him, but I just don't think we can.
Without Rodgers, the true mediocrity of the NFCN goes on full display. As a fan, nothing says "Entitled Town" than those who think you just casually throw away the reigning MVP. There is a reason Kirk Cousins is about to re-break the bank ... because he is far better than most QBs in the NFL ... and he is a QB that is not in the same galaxy as Rodgers.
You do not just let premier talent walk out the door. Do I agree with McGinn's assessment? Paraphrasing Parcells .... you are what your record says you are. It's why I love the NFL, there is no hiding, no couching of results. You either win or lose every week and there are no debates about it. There are not many places in life we have that elegantly obvious outcome.
Anyhow, you do everything you can, you mortgage the future, and you try to win now. Winning in the NFL is hard. To use a baseball comparison, I'd rather be the 1990s Atlanta Braves as opposed to the 1990s Milwaukee Brewers. In one lens, were the Braves a disappointment? You could argue that. That's an awful lot of talent to have only one World Series win. But on the other hand, as a fan, they played very little meaningless baseball for a decade.
Said another way, while I wish we had more trophies, I am very, very happy to be dominant. Are we a dynasty? Perhaps not. But continued NFL dominance and almost zero meaningless football? I will do anything to perpetuate this "disappointment".
Keep. Push to keep. You’ve got nothing to lose to make this all out love push. And plenty to game in the “we did everything we could camp.” Makes it more likely Adams comes back.
On the flip side, he’s gotta know that the Packers will want to continue to eye a draft and develop situation while he’s on the roster. That means Love, or someone else in next year’s draft (hopefully in late rounds).
We’ve been spoiled by HOF QB’s no breaks for 30 (?) years. There’s never been more young, well-drilled QB talent on top college rosters (kind of like young, hungry journalists trying for that top columnist job) … You can find someone in the future. You’ll never get the end of this run back.
OK...so this is my take....Rodgers post season record is basically .500.....and he CLEARLY has not played his best games at the most important time...the two exceptions would be thr Super Bowl and the divisional game on the road against Dallas(the pass to Jared Cook at the end was epic)...we also need to look at how the defense performed in some of those losses...just pitiful...
So while I would not categorize Rodgers a a post-season loser, he has largely failed as a player who has made a huge impact in the post season and in the post season has not "tilted the field" in the direction of the Packers.
Rodgers is likely over-concerned about throwing picks...but in the same respect, the most important statistic in terms of teams winning and losing is turnovers...so in the long haul, this trait of Rodgers helps the team and of course helps Rodgers(with is QBR...which he covets).
Speaking of turnovers...none was bigger than Marcedes Lewis' in the divisional game...SF was playing on their heels and that gave them life just when they needed it...
The real issue that Rodgers has shown was his inability to make the big play in the playoffs...when his team needed it most...HE WAS OUTPLAYED BY JIMMY GARAPOLO in the last 5 minutes ....Tom Brady, Joe Montana, Troy Aikman(I know he's annoying) all find Allan Lazard WIDE OPEN at mid field to keep that drive going...That's what separates them from Rodgers...
Rodgers missed wide open receivers against the Bucs as well in the championship game AT HOME....the truly great one don't.
Look, I love Davante Adams as much as anybody but when Rodgers solely relies on him to win games, it hurts the team...BTW, I think GB is 5-0 in games Rodgers does not have Adams...why?..Because he's forced to use the offense as it is designed, instead of making the offense what he wants it to be...
So what to de we do...well if you want to have a competitive team to watch over the next 2 years that is favored to win 85% of their regular season games as well as their division...you do what you can to keep him....understanding that in the playoffs, you are back to losing that advantage(based on Rodgers .500 record in playoff games)....
Or you say...I AM NOT SURE WHAT WE HAVE IN Jordan Love but we are in a weak division with three other teams going through rebuilds and now is as good a time as any to move on with draft picks AND some proven players. We may be bad for a year or two(or maybe more) but we can improve our rebuild chances with a bunch of draft picks and some proven vets....
My MAJOR CONCERN about the latter approach is I am not sure Gutey is good at identifying QB talent-He loved Deshone Kizer and picked Love-Kizer was awful and TO THIS POINT, Love has done nothing to distinguish himself...
I vote for taking the known, despite Rodgers limitations in the playoffs...having said that, if the Packers traded Rodgers, I would be far from devastated...
GB has to ask itself if good is good enough or if they’re serious about contending. If the latter, they have to move on. It was eye opening watching the elite QBs this post season lift thier teams in the playoffs. ARod just isn’t in that group at this point.
The goal is winning championships. Brady, Starr and Montana demonstrated how a championship QB should look and play. I’ve lost confidence in Rodgers because he fails in pressure situations against good defenses. He lacks the heart of a champion. Do what is necessary to get the best draft picks possible and move on.
First, I learned Bob McGinn joined golongtd.com today and I signed up.
I would probably make it appear I want him back to increase his trade value. But I would definitely trade him. That said, perhaps Clements will coach Rodgers to take the check downs to win games against good defenses.
The question came as to whether Rodgers had veto power over any trade. Technically no but in reality yes. With retirement as a possibility, all he has to do is put word out he doesn't want to play somewhere and that team won't consummate a trade.
I'd like to move on. I disagree with the assessment that we wasted 32 yrs. of HOF QB play with only 3 Superbowl appearance. Players, not management could have tilted the balance. Rodgers had TD opportunities on all three plays from scrimmage on his final Tampa Bay drive and very open receivers on 2nd(Deguara) and 3rd(Lazard) downs vs. San Fran. We've catered to AR more than any team with any QB. It's time.
Late getting on this. If Rodgers makes up with the Pack and has been humbled a little bit (of course no way to evaluate that) then am fine with him returning. Keep knocking on the door, maybe someday it'll open, if not, that's life. If team feels it's best to move on, am fine with that too.
The only thing personally reject is the idea of a complete tank job rebuild. Feel like the schematic advantage this offense has is underrated, big running lanes, open receivers all over the place and the OL plugged in one player after another all year and kept Rodgers largely untouched. Some of that likely was Rodgers commanding the O, but don't see any reason why even a competent QB with solid talent around him-and this team had talent-shouldn't have this team contending in the NFC. And frankly, it might be kind of appealing to be a tiny bit of an underdog for once and overachieving instead of the opposite.
Rooting for Rodgers has always been more of an intellectual admiration than an emotional connection, especially when compared to fandom for Favre. So this makes it easier to make the hard decision and move on. Get a bounty in trade for him and Adams, then let 2022 be an emphasis on the run game, defense, and maybe even ST. It's not like an all-encompassing emphasis on the passing game is doing anything beyond an annual playoff flop.
How can anyone making a judgment on Rodgers when the average Packer fan has no idea if Jordan Love can perform? We're not privy to seeing him practice, if he can make difficult throws, or has the leadership skills. College testimonials don't count.
I'm not a Packers fan, and I found Rodgers' behavior last season incredibly obnoxious and immature. The January loss was a low point, but I feel like we're over-reacting to one bad loss. Since drafting Jordan Love, Rodgers has rebounded from his 2015-2020 slump with two straight MVP seasons, a good playoff year (he outplayed Brady vs Tampa), and a bad playoff year. Meanwhile, Jordan Love has shown close to nothing, and the Packers choking in the playoffs at home is a tradition that has preceded Rodgers. As much of a headache as Rodgers is, he's still a great player and I'm just not sure moving on really makes your team better in any way.
At least fans that seeRogers traded for a lot draft picks (while Denver's picks aren't gonna be anything great middle the road at best) and just remember ,and I sure do, when the bucks had to trade MVP Jabbar and what did they get ?some nice players but some duds ike Ernie Grunfield, and they never saw the championship for 45 yrs! Not to apologize for Rogers but the conditions were horrible for the San Francisco game ,almost ANY quarterback would struggle to do well in those, and the horrendous special teams deserved (along with Lafluer ) to get the majority of the blame in that game. AR needs to play in a good climate or indoor stadium in the playoffs so the passing game could excel. So
one more yr with him see where they go, then on to Love in 23. And for those fans who think Gute will draft great, well a quick study shows some really big mistakes, K.King instead of TJ Watt, how about Burks, Keke, M. Adams, many more....No trade for picks, too much of a crapshoot.
There’s a lot of good thoughts here and I support most of what I’ve read. I agree that it’s time to move on and get some draft capital, for the good of the teams’ future. No one player is more important than the team, but it feels that way when you listen to the Packers brass. I hope some of the comments are just a smokescreen, but probably not. To concur with Bob McGinn, a friend calls Rodgers the greatest regular season quarterback in the history of the NFL.
I’m honestly at peace with whatever they decide. If they keep Rodgers and get a 2-3 commitment/extension done, great. If they trade him for an enticing haul now, also great. Two straight years he’s had opportunities to get it done and simply hasn’t. With that said, my one takeaway from watching the Rams was that their A listers were healthy and balled out. Kupp, Donald, Ramsey. 3 blue chippers. All three completely heathy. Losing Bakhtiari for two straight playoff runs and Alexander this past year (hindsight - he shouldn’t have even been active in that Niner game, completely comprised w/ the shoulder). Those two guys are Hall of Fame caliber talents, that tilt the field in your favor when they’re right. Those aren’t just well next man up type of injuries, no those two are irreplaceable. I’d like to see this team in the playoffs without the Smiths around, and those two guys back along with 12, 17, 33, 28, 83, 59, 29 and continued improvement from within from Stokes, Myers, Gary, etc and this coming years draft class. Yes, none of it matters if 12 continues to play like Jane in the playoffs, but he’s also Aaron Rodgers a guaranteed 12 wins per yr in the NFC North. They’ll be back, and anything can happen once you get there in these one game scenarios.
I would keep him only because the GM will waste the draft picks on nobodies like he did with Savage, Burks, Love and Amari Rodgers. If Ron Wolf was still the GM then I would trade Rodgers.
In other sports it isn't even a controversial concept to trade an aging star for younger players or draft picks. For some reason it doesn't seem to happen often in the NFL.
The reports last week that the Packers were willing to extend Rodgers with a pay raise were weird. The only possible sourcing on that could have been the Packers. Why leak that instead of merely getting the deal done behind the scenes like normal?
I have tremendous faith in Gutekunst's ability to draft especially in the early rounds. Loading up on draft picks and resetting the team's financials/salary cap seems wise.
The Packers must recognize the reason for their postseason failures and try a different formula.
Move on. We have to realize that GB will have to do a rebuild at some point - either next year or when AR retires if he remains. If the latter, the Packers are not going to receive a windfall of picks to assist in this rebuild. However, if Love is not the answer (and I have my doubts), then we could be stuck in the same QB purgatory that afflicts so many other teams for who knows how long. But that day is inevitable. We may miss out on a SB without AR, but the past decade would seem to tell us otherwise.
To me, it all depends on how optimistic you are. If you are a glass half full person, you look at the picks you would get and you are excited about building for the future.
Just because we stunk in the 70s and 80s doesn’t mean we can’t move on now, reload and continue to succeed.
It’s been a nice run with #4 and #12; let’s start a new run.
Besides AR isn’t going to win another SB for us and I’m tired of his narcissistic douchiness.
Or—if you are a bit more cautious/pessimistic, you say— geeze with AR, we get 10 wins + and playoffs. With Love or whoever, we stink at the most important position in all of sports. It’s really hard to find a great qb, you don’t know what you got til it’s gone.
We are like 4 and 13 if Love starts next fall. Yuck.
And draft picks are nothing but a crapshoot. I’ll take a proven winner in AR over being the Bearz or the lions. I remember the 70s and 80s all too well.
And btw, our defense currently is ok, but hardly the 85 Bearz. Let’s not get carried away by how far the awesome defense could carry us if we add a couple picks.
Green Bay started the transition when they moved up and selected Love in the 1st round. Would rather roll the dice and get premium draft picks and players in return for a 39 year old QB. Sounds crazy moving on from one of the greatest QBs to ever play the game, but think it’s the right call, at this point in time, for the team and Rodgers as well.
It doesn’t matter either way. They are screwed with Rodgers and undoubtedly are screwed without him. Love was a mistake from day 1. MLF is an extremely overrated coach who is essentially a McCarthy clone (good play caller, mediocre defense, abhorrent special teams). Gutey would likely swing and miss on the boatload of picks from a Rodgers trade as well. Packer fans need to accept the fact that the dark ages have returned. The window has slammed shut.
Option 2, no doubt about it. What has 12 straight years of Green Bay not appearing in the Super Bowl taught us? It taught us that Rodgers will fail for a 13th straight year to appear in the Super Bowl much less win it.
All of these comments and thoughts are fascinating. Thanks for taking the time, everyone. Love it when we get a good dialogue going here. Will weigh in with a few thoughts here tomorrow morn. Chatting with a few people around the league on this to get a feel.
Trade him, Franchise & trade Adams and lets have fun again with a young team that cares. Chip
Move on. Part of the thrill of being a sports fan is the "unknown". With Rodgers, it's almost certain that my fall/winter Sundays will be invested in watching a team stroll the the NFCN title and then flop in the playoffs. It's been that way for a decade and it's unlikely to change. He can't play in the cold any more. Along the way of course, we'll have to endure his weekly pontifications with McAfee where he gets to show the world how much smarter he is than the rest of us. The guy's so pompous. Give me a bunch of picks and some young guys that we can watch develop and root for. Case in point: I'm more excited to see what Stokes and Gary will do next year than what Rodgers would bring to the table. Maybe it will be terrible, maybe not. But that's part of being a fan.
Expecting a different “all-in” result for 2022 with Rogers at QB may be the classic definition of insanity. Let him achieve the best INT and QB rating in NFL history playing for somebody else. He cannot surpass Brady using SB results as the preferred measure for being considered the GOAT. Establishing all-time records for certain statistical categories including total MVPs is all he has left for making his own indelible mark on NFL history. At best, he will still be only the second or third best QB in Packer history, let alone the entire NFL.
Personally I’m ready to move on. How many teams get an opportunity to jumpstart their future with a haul of draft picks? The team is good enough that even with a mediocre QB they can compete in the NFC North, and hope they get hot in the postseason (which is the same thing we do with Rodgers).
Part of me is sick of Rodgers from the personal perspective. From his Covid debacle and misinformation to his laid back approach on game day. Sure there’s fire when he’s yelling at a young TE/WR when they run a route he didn’t like, but you never get the feeling that this game is the most important thing in Rodgers life. It’s tough to compare Rodgers to Brady, but with Brady you saw the fire, you saw the drive, you saw the “this means everything” competitiveness in him. Seems like Rodgers is focused on his buddies and trying to convince others that he’s some super smart, elevated individual who transcends “normal” knowledge. He’s a damn good quarterback, but it doesn't mean he’s the smartest/coolest guy in the room.
The other side is football. We’re back to the Favre scenario of being left out to squirm wondering whether Rodgers is going to throw the Packers under the bus. Rodgers plays for the Packers, not the other way around. He’s one Joe Rogan podcast from retiring mid season because there’s an internet article that being within a mile of a beer causes cancer. I’m prepared the Packers may suck for five years. But that time is going to come regardless of when Rodgers leaves/retires. Why not put yourself in the best position to come out of those 2-5 years of sucking with a competitive team for the next 10-12 years?
People are still trying to frame things as the Packers should “Put all their chips on the table”. That is what they did last year. The chips have been gambled and they lost. Whether Rodgers stays or goes, their financial situation is bloated well beyond the salary cap and they have many players with expiring contracts. The team of 2022 will need to have many players with low salaries just so they can be under the cap. Just to answer the posed question, I would move on from Rodgers. He has put himself above the team and that is a dangerous dynamic.
I grew up listening to Lombardi's teams on the radio, watched the ice bowl live on a black and white in an overcrowded UW dorm lounge, then took my kids to their first Packer's game - LeRoy Butler's first Lambeau Leap game when he ran in that lateral from Reggie White against the hapless frozen Raiders. We, my kids and I, are all Packer fans......not Rodgers fans, or even Fauve fans for that matter. Green Bay is Title Town, not MVP Town. Let's get the focus back on winning the Packer's 14th championship. Let's get those draft picks and see if we can pick up a title in the next few years.
I can't imagine the salary cap dumpster fire in 2-3 years if Rodgers and Adams are extended.
I cant believe the front office is even considering bringing him back, let alone bending over backwards for him. Remember last summer when they bent over backwards for him just for him to hold a press conference trashing the front office for 20 minutes straight? What world are we living in? It's like the front office, and many fans, are suffering from Stockholm Syndrome. This organization needs a return to sanity before they let this guy drive them right off the cliff.
It’s all on Rodgers not the Packers They already are doing all they can to keep him and if he says he wants to stay and sign an extension and retire in Green Bay they have to do it even though I would prefer they don’t.
I actually believe rodgers is manipulative enough that he is going to say I want to stay One more year only and then I will decide what I want to do next year after next year. His goal is to be a true free agent after next year.
That way he hopes he can be the good guy to packer fans ( I wanted to stay) if/when they trade him which they almost certainly would. Haul might be less if he says not sure if I am playing more than one year.
What direction is the wind blowing today? I could go either way, but the final decision, to me, concerns MLF. If Rodgers’ exit means he’s not sticking around, that makes my decision. Otherwise, I’m 50:50. If we let go of Rodgers, I want enough draft capital to trade up to 1 overall if Love fizzles year 1.
I keep coming back to the old Branch Rickey quote; especially when we're considering a player who will be 39 next year. Father time is undefeated. "Trade a player a year too early than a year too late."
Message to Brian Gutekunst, let him go, please
Majority of fans will gladly support reset, Packers will not win another Super Bowl with Rodgers
I've been on the "Dunne" train. Move Aaron for picks and players. Start the rebuild. I'm "Dunne" with #12.
Doesn't Rodgers hold veto power over any trade? I can't imagine him wanting to face the young guns in the AFC so it looks like we're going to have to reload which is what you do. But I want no more drama. Just milk toast and wins ala Brady.
I read a lot of the comments on here and to the ones that say keep him and Adams I ask you is killing your future worth one or 2 more years of one and done playoff losses? Also every year we make the playoffs means we getting a lower draft pick, hard to rebuild when your drafting in the mid 20's every year. Now for the guy that said if we trade him to the Broncos we will end up with mid to high draft picks must not look at the other teams in the NFL. He would have to go against the likes of Maholmes twice a year, Herbert twice a year and the Raiders twice a year. Not the Bears Lions and Vikings. So I can see them with low teens draft picks we would get including #9 next year. Next year besides that division they get the Rams, Titans, 49ers, Cards and Seahawks, oh ya and Baltimore and the Colts. So tell me again how it would be a cake walk for the Broncos and force us to get late draft picks?
I am surprised that the responses are so strongly in favor of moving on. I guess Tyler draws smart fans to his site. But, clearly the Packer organization sees this differently. Read some place Gutey is not even having discussions with other GM's about a possible deal. You'd think he would listen just in case.
He'll be thirty-nine by the time the next playoffs come around THIRTY-NINE. And he's been talking about how much he'd like to run a game show.
Move on and get a bunch of cheap, young, talented guys through the draft. It's easier to win with a good/seasoned QB, but it's not the only way to win. If Love doesn't work out, use one of your many picks to grab someone who does.
The NFL is weird; the key thing is that you're hot at the end, not that you're super dominant all year long. As long as you make the playoffs, anyone can win, a seen when the 9-7 packers won it all and the 9ers were a dropped pick from going this year. The one thing that ensures that you won't win the super bowl is if you're sooooo bad that you can't get into the playoffs and that's what happens when teams overpay on old guys and have to cut their vets. The Ted Thomson model of "make sure we're never horrible" is the right approach. THE SWEET SPOT FOR WINNING is to have a young, good-enough, CHEAP QB so you can afford to pay lots of pieces around him. Once it's time for him to get paid, it's a lot harder. Going "all in" for one long-shot year and giving away five future years is a recipe for not winning for six straight years.
There are excellent points for keeping him or trading him and ALL signs point to a huge effort to keep him so lets look at why that is the case and the answer is pretty basic, it is because they see Jordan Love practice everyday, remember when Cousin's tested positive and could not play below are Mike Zimmer's remarks on their recently drafted "potential starter";
When asked if he "wanted to get a look at Mond" next week in the season finale against the Chicago Bears, Zimmer coldly responded with "Not particularly." When asked to clarify why, he stated "I see him every day."
You don't need to be a rocket scientist to see why the big push by the team to keep Rodgers is so apparent.
Move on. Past is prologue and there is NO evidence for 10+ years that he will play at a high level during the post season when needed most. In divisional weekend this year he 7th of the 8 QBs on the field with only dreadful Tannehill worse. Just think of the Rams game winning drive. Stafford came thru *when he was needed to most*. Save for the Cowboys Jared Cook game, 12 literally never does. He can’t do it. He won’t do it. Take your lumps with JLo next yr and build a top 3 defense to carry you.
I'm ready to trade him and begin the rebuild process. If Rodgers was a couple of years younger, maybe I would hold on to him, but he isn't. If they keep him, the 2022 Packers will have less veteran depth, an aging starting QB, an even more bloated cap, and a likely much more difficult rebuild. Rodgers is a declining asset. If you sign him to a huge contract and he gets injured, the disaster will ham string the team talent and cap wise for a number of years; and it appears that he cannot play in the cold any longer. If traded the draft choices and any other talent received will help strengthen an otherwise solid roster, and we get a chance to see if Love has the ability of becoming a starter. And we also put ourselves in a position to trade and multiply our draft capital for the 2023 draft which should be more QB rich. It is incumbent on a GM to look at the future of a franchise just as much as the immediate season. If I thought GB could win a SB with Rodgers, I might think twice about trading him, but I just don't think we can.
Thanks for the memories, Aaron
Without Rodgers, the true mediocrity of the NFCN goes on full display. As a fan, nothing says "Entitled Town" than those who think you just casually throw away the reigning MVP. There is a reason Kirk Cousins is about to re-break the bank ... because he is far better than most QBs in the NFL ... and he is a QB that is not in the same galaxy as Rodgers.
You do not just let premier talent walk out the door. Do I agree with McGinn's assessment? Paraphrasing Parcells .... you are what your record says you are. It's why I love the NFL, there is no hiding, no couching of results. You either win or lose every week and there are no debates about it. There are not many places in life we have that elegantly obvious outcome.
Anyhow, you do everything you can, you mortgage the future, and you try to win now. Winning in the NFL is hard. To use a baseball comparison, I'd rather be the 1990s Atlanta Braves as opposed to the 1990s Milwaukee Brewers. In one lens, were the Braves a disappointment? You could argue that. That's an awful lot of talent to have only one World Series win. But on the other hand, as a fan, they played very little meaningless baseball for a decade.
Said another way, while I wish we had more trophies, I am very, very happy to be dominant. Are we a dynasty? Perhaps not. But continued NFL dominance and almost zero meaningless football? I will do anything to perpetuate this "disappointment".
Keep. Push to keep. You’ve got nothing to lose to make this all out love push. And plenty to game in the “we did everything we could camp.” Makes it more likely Adams comes back.
On the flip side, he’s gotta know that the Packers will want to continue to eye a draft and develop situation while he’s on the roster. That means Love, or someone else in next year’s draft (hopefully in late rounds).
We’ve been spoiled by HOF QB’s no breaks for 30 (?) years. There’s never been more young, well-drilled QB talent on top college rosters (kind of like young, hungry journalists trying for that top columnist job) … You can find someone in the future. You’ll never get the end of this run back.
OK...so this is my take....Rodgers post season record is basically .500.....and he CLEARLY has not played his best games at the most important time...the two exceptions would be thr Super Bowl and the divisional game on the road against Dallas(the pass to Jared Cook at the end was epic)...we also need to look at how the defense performed in some of those losses...just pitiful...
So while I would not categorize Rodgers a a post-season loser, he has largely failed as a player who has made a huge impact in the post season and in the post season has not "tilted the field" in the direction of the Packers.
Rodgers is likely over-concerned about throwing picks...but in the same respect, the most important statistic in terms of teams winning and losing is turnovers...so in the long haul, this trait of Rodgers helps the team and of course helps Rodgers(with is QBR...which he covets).
Speaking of turnovers...none was bigger than Marcedes Lewis' in the divisional game...SF was playing on their heels and that gave them life just when they needed it...
The real issue that Rodgers has shown was his inability to make the big play in the playoffs...when his team needed it most...HE WAS OUTPLAYED BY JIMMY GARAPOLO in the last 5 minutes ....Tom Brady, Joe Montana, Troy Aikman(I know he's annoying) all find Allan Lazard WIDE OPEN at mid field to keep that drive going...That's what separates them from Rodgers...
Rodgers missed wide open receivers against the Bucs as well in the championship game AT HOME....the truly great one don't.
Look, I love Davante Adams as much as anybody but when Rodgers solely relies on him to win games, it hurts the team...BTW, I think GB is 5-0 in games Rodgers does not have Adams...why?..Because he's forced to use the offense as it is designed, instead of making the offense what he wants it to be...
So what to de we do...well if you want to have a competitive team to watch over the next 2 years that is favored to win 85% of their regular season games as well as their division...you do what you can to keep him....understanding that in the playoffs, you are back to losing that advantage(based on Rodgers .500 record in playoff games)....
Or you say...I AM NOT SURE WHAT WE HAVE IN Jordan Love but we are in a weak division with three other teams going through rebuilds and now is as good a time as any to move on with draft picks AND some proven players. We may be bad for a year or two(or maybe more) but we can improve our rebuild chances with a bunch of draft picks and some proven vets....
My MAJOR CONCERN about the latter approach is I am not sure Gutey is good at identifying QB talent-He loved Deshone Kizer and picked Love-Kizer was awful and TO THIS POINT, Love has done nothing to distinguish himself...
I vote for taking the known, despite Rodgers limitations in the playoffs...having said that, if the Packers traded Rodgers, I would be far from devastated...
Option 2. Bye Felicia! Give me Two #1s Jerry Jeudy, Noah Fant or Surtain or Chubb & Two #2s
GB has to ask itself if good is good enough or if they’re serious about contending. If the latter, they have to move on. It was eye opening watching the elite QBs this post season lift thier teams in the playoffs. ARod just isn’t in that group at this point.
The goal is winning championships. Brady, Starr and Montana demonstrated how a championship QB should look and play. I’ve lost confidence in Rodgers because he fails in pressure situations against good defenses. He lacks the heart of a champion. Do what is necessary to get the best draft picks possible and move on.
First, I learned Bob McGinn joined golongtd.com today and I signed up.
I would probably make it appear I want him back to increase his trade value. But I would definitely trade him. That said, perhaps Clements will coach Rodgers to take the check downs to win games against good defenses.
The question came as to whether Rodgers had veto power over any trade. Technically no but in reality yes. With retirement as a possibility, all he has to do is put word out he doesn't want to play somewhere and that team won't consummate a trade.
I'd like to move on. I disagree with the assessment that we wasted 32 yrs. of HOF QB play with only 3 Superbowl appearance. Players, not management could have tilted the balance. Rodgers had TD opportunities on all three plays from scrimmage on his final Tampa Bay drive and very open receivers on 2nd(Deguara) and 3rd(Lazard) downs vs. San Fran. We've catered to AR more than any team with any QB. It's time.
Late getting on this. If Rodgers makes up with the Pack and has been humbled a little bit (of course no way to evaluate that) then am fine with him returning. Keep knocking on the door, maybe someday it'll open, if not, that's life. If team feels it's best to move on, am fine with that too.
The only thing personally reject is the idea of a complete tank job rebuild. Feel like the schematic advantage this offense has is underrated, big running lanes, open receivers all over the place and the OL plugged in one player after another all year and kept Rodgers largely untouched. Some of that likely was Rodgers commanding the O, but don't see any reason why even a competent QB with solid talent around him-and this team had talent-shouldn't have this team contending in the NFC. And frankly, it might be kind of appealing to be a tiny bit of an underdog for once and overachieving instead of the opposite.
As I mentioned to Bob in an email a few weeks ago - it’s time.
Let’s see if the great John Lennon was right and “Love is all you need”.
Rooting for Rodgers has always been more of an intellectual admiration than an emotional connection, especially when compared to fandom for Favre. So this makes it easier to make the hard decision and move on. Get a bounty in trade for him and Adams, then let 2022 be an emphasis on the run game, defense, and maybe even ST. It's not like an all-encompassing emphasis on the passing game is doing anything beyond an annual playoff flop.
How can anyone making a judgment on Rodgers when the average Packer fan has no idea if Jordan Love can perform? We're not privy to seeing him practice, if he can make difficult throws, or has the leadership skills. College testimonials don't count.
Trade him and Adams , get younger , hope to build a winner with all the picks
I'm not a Packers fan, and I found Rodgers' behavior last season incredibly obnoxious and immature. The January loss was a low point, but I feel like we're over-reacting to one bad loss. Since drafting Jordan Love, Rodgers has rebounded from his 2015-2020 slump with two straight MVP seasons, a good playoff year (he outplayed Brady vs Tampa), and a bad playoff year. Meanwhile, Jordan Love has shown close to nothing, and the Packers choking in the playoffs at home is a tradition that has preceded Rodgers. As much of a headache as Rodgers is, he's still a great player and I'm just not sure moving on really makes your team better in any way.
At least fans that seeRogers traded for a lot draft picks (while Denver's picks aren't gonna be anything great middle the road at best) and just remember ,and I sure do, when the bucks had to trade MVP Jabbar and what did they get ?some nice players but some duds ike Ernie Grunfield, and they never saw the championship for 45 yrs! Not to apologize for Rogers but the conditions were horrible for the San Francisco game ,almost ANY quarterback would struggle to do well in those, and the horrendous special teams deserved (along with Lafluer ) to get the majority of the blame in that game. AR needs to play in a good climate or indoor stadium in the playoffs so the passing game could excel. So
one more yr with him see where they go, then on to Love in 23. And for those fans who think Gute will draft great, well a quick study shows some really big mistakes, K.King instead of TJ Watt, how about Burks, Keke, M. Adams, many more....No trade for picks, too much of a crapshoot.
There’s a lot of good thoughts here and I support most of what I’ve read. I agree that it’s time to move on and get some draft capital, for the good of the teams’ future. No one player is more important than the team, but it feels that way when you listen to the Packers brass. I hope some of the comments are just a smokescreen, but probably not. To concur with Bob McGinn, a friend calls Rodgers the greatest regular season quarterback in the history of the NFL.
I’m honestly at peace with whatever they decide. If they keep Rodgers and get a 2-3 commitment/extension done, great. If they trade him for an enticing haul now, also great. Two straight years he’s had opportunities to get it done and simply hasn’t. With that said, my one takeaway from watching the Rams was that their A listers were healthy and balled out. Kupp, Donald, Ramsey. 3 blue chippers. All three completely heathy. Losing Bakhtiari for two straight playoff runs and Alexander this past year (hindsight - he shouldn’t have even been active in that Niner game, completely comprised w/ the shoulder). Those two guys are Hall of Fame caliber talents, that tilt the field in your favor when they’re right. Those aren’t just well next man up type of injuries, no those two are irreplaceable. I’d like to see this team in the playoffs without the Smiths around, and those two guys back along with 12, 17, 33, 28, 83, 59, 29 and continued improvement from within from Stokes, Myers, Gary, etc and this coming years draft class. Yes, none of it matters if 12 continues to play like Jane in the playoffs, but he’s also Aaron Rodgers a guaranteed 12 wins per yr in the NFC North. They’ll be back, and anything can happen once you get there in these one game scenarios.
12 will stay because Murphy has 3 years to mandatory retirement. His ego would not be able to withstand a rebuild
I would keep him only because the GM will waste the draft picks on nobodies like he did with Savage, Burks, Love and Amari Rodgers. If Ron Wolf was still the GM then I would trade Rodgers.
How can two HOF qbs only win two Super Bowls in 30 years?
Enough!
Favre and Rodgers are no Brady, Bradshaw, Montana, Aikman or P. Manning.
Try something else.
The reason to do this is to win championships. It’s called the Lombardi Trophy for a reason.
In other sports it isn't even a controversial concept to trade an aging star for younger players or draft picks. For some reason it doesn't seem to happen often in the NFL.
The reports last week that the Packers were willing to extend Rodgers with a pay raise were weird. The only possible sourcing on that could have been the Packers. Why leak that instead of merely getting the deal done behind the scenes like normal?
I have tremendous faith in Gutekunst's ability to draft especially in the early rounds. Loading up on draft picks and resetting the team's financials/salary cap seems wise.
The Packers must recognize the reason for their postseason failures and try a different formula.
Move on. We have to realize that GB will have to do a rebuild at some point - either next year or when AR retires if he remains. If the latter, the Packers are not going to receive a windfall of picks to assist in this rebuild. However, if Love is not the answer (and I have my doubts), then we could be stuck in the same QB purgatory that afflicts so many other teams for who knows how long. But that day is inevitable. We may miss out on a SB without AR, but the past decade would seem to tell us otherwise.
There are good arguments on both sides.
To me, it all depends on how optimistic you are. If you are a glass half full person, you look at the picks you would get and you are excited about building for the future.
Just because we stunk in the 70s and 80s doesn’t mean we can’t move on now, reload and continue to succeed.
It’s been a nice run with #4 and #12; let’s start a new run.
Besides AR isn’t going to win another SB for us and I’m tired of his narcissistic douchiness.
Or—if you are a bit more cautious/pessimistic, you say— geeze with AR, we get 10 wins + and playoffs. With Love or whoever, we stink at the most important position in all of sports. It’s really hard to find a great qb, you don’t know what you got til it’s gone.
We are like 4 and 13 if Love starts next fall. Yuck.
And draft picks are nothing but a crapshoot. I’ll take a proven winner in AR over being the Bearz or the lions. I remember the 70s and 80s all too well.
And btw, our defense currently is ok, but hardly the 85 Bearz. Let’s not get carried away by how far the awesome defense could carry us if we add a couple picks.
So, which do I prefer?
Close call, but I’d bring him back.
Green Bay started the transition when they moved up and selected Love in the 1st round. Would rather roll the dice and get premium draft picks and players in return for a 39 year old QB. Sounds crazy moving on from one of the greatest QBs to ever play the game, but think it’s the right call, at this point in time, for the team and Rodgers as well.
One option is exciting, the other is not. One is hopeful, the other is not.
It doesn’t matter either way. They are screwed with Rodgers and undoubtedly are screwed without him. Love was a mistake from day 1. MLF is an extremely overrated coach who is essentially a McCarthy clone (good play caller, mediocre defense, abhorrent special teams). Gutey would likely swing and miss on the boatload of picks from a Rodgers trade as well. Packer fans need to accept the fact that the dark ages have returned. The window has slammed shut.
Option 2, no doubt about it. What has 12 straight years of Green Bay not appearing in the Super Bowl taught us? It taught us that Rodgers will fail for a 13th straight year to appear in the Super Bowl much less win it.