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A year after the Green Bay Packers drafted Jordan Love as the heir to Aaron Rodgers, the clock counting down the days before the organization parts with another legendary quarterback is accelerating. In an offseason that has seen contract and trade drama, the situation in Green Bay is becoming even shakier.
Following the team’s loss in the NFC Championship Game, Rodgers cast doubt on his future with the Packers. Green Bay was entering a difficult offseason well over the NFL salary cap and with many key players headed for free agency. While Aaron Jones is returning, All-Pro center Corey Linsley is gone and the Packers didn’t add a single notable outside free agent.
The Packers have been busy restructuring contracts this offseason, but they have avoided extensions. The most prominent example is Rodgers, who has been seeking a reworked deal that ensured he wouldn’t be a “lame-duck” quarterback. An extension would ease the franchise quarterback’s concerns and create cap room to add more talent, but the front office has seemingly avoided it.
Rodgers, who is set to host Jeopardy! for the next two weeks, recently discussed his future with ESPN’s Kenny Mayne and the uncertainty regarding his future in Green Bay remained. On Monday’s Get Up, NFL insider Adam Schefter added further details on where things stand between the two sides.
“It’s on the clock, he’s on the clock. You don’t know how it plays out, but clearly, there are issues between the two sides. So much so that Green Bay management has had to address them in the offseason and in recent weeks they’ve had to go to Aaron Rodgers to address them. So clearly he’s got questions about whether he can finish there.”
ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Get Up regarding situation between Green Bay Packers and Aaron Rodgers
It’s certainly not a surprise. Reports surfaced in January that some within the Packers’ organization were ready to move on from Rodgers. Green Bay’s CEO Mark Murphy added fuel to the speculation this past week, refusing to make a long-term commitment to the future Hall of Famer quarterback.
COLUMN: Why Aaron Rodgers must consider trade demand amid contract dispute
Will Aaron Rodgers stay with the Packers?
After Green Bay traded up and drafted Love, NFL executives started suggesting a Rodgers trade would happen in the near future. Many immediately pointed to the 2022 offseason as the moment when the Packers will decide to move on from the reigning NFL MVP so they could turn the franchise over to Love.
Read More: Green Bay Packers ready to move on from Rodgers?
The speculation started to die down after Rodgers’ incredible 2020 season, with a strong belief his play extended the team’s Super Bowl window. But his post-game comments after the NFCCG and the team’s unwillingness to take a win-now approach the past two offseasons have renewed trade rumors.
Related: Green Bay Packers HC Matt LaFleur shuts down Aaron Rodgers trade rumors
It seems clear Rodgers’ teammates and the coaching staff want him to stay in Green Bay until he retires. But with that sentiment seemingly not shared entirely by the front office and considering how things ended for Tom Brady, Schefter believes Rodgers will be wearing another uniform in the next few years.
“I think a coach like Matt LaFleur would love to have Aaron Rodgers, he doesn’t want anything to happen. But I think there are so many things that have happened and look, we see it over time. Tom Brady didn’t finish in New England. Aaron Rodgers has been there 16 years. Is he going to finish in Green Bay? I would say, to answer Kenny Mayne’s question, the chances are no.”
ESPN’s Adam Schefter on whether or not Aaron Rodgers will finish his career with Packers
The Packers have been on the right side of this decision-making process before, choosing Rodgers over Brett Favre worked out perfectly. But these situations are different.
Favre was in clear decline and Rodgers was considered a top-five prospect in the 2005 NFL Draft. When he showed up for his first training camp, he immediately made a strong impression and the organization knew it made the right call by drafting him. As for Love, who some viewed as a fourth-round talent, his first impression wasn’t nearly as strong this summer.
Time will tell if the Packers are making the correct decision. The one thing that has become increasingly clear is Rodgers isn’t happy with what’s going on and Green Bay doesn’t seem to have any plans to address those problems.