Has the time come for Aaron Rodgers to leave the NFC North?
Will Aaron Rodgers’ final game as a Green Bay Packer go down as a “Sunday Night Football” loss to the Detroit Lions? For Lions fans, it sounds like a fitting end for a player that haunted their franchise. For Packers fans, however, it could be haunting for a very different reason.
With the Packers reportedly seeking to trade the former MVP quarterback, it seems his time in Green Bay could be at an end. Rodgers would leave a complex legacy in Green Bay. He’s a Super Bowl champion and one of the era’s best, an icon in the national media’s eyes. Yet some from his very own fanbase are tired of his antics, whether on or off the field. A regular season superstar that turns into a playoff choker, some would say. Others would call him an annoyance, his press conference quips and quotes failing to endear him to many. It’s a bizarre circumstance for a player with Rodgers’ resume, but alas, here we are.
We have seen this song and dance before with Rodgers and Green Bay, the will-they, won’t-they move on from their star quarterback. In fact, we saw a similar situation with Rodgers’ predecessor, Brett Favre. Favre’s saga eventually resulted in a trade to the New York Jets following a retirement and subsequent unretirement. The Packers were adamant that the Favre era was over. Will the Packers feel the same way?
Much like with Favre, the Packers have another young quarterback that has waited in the wings for multiple seasons. Jordan Love was projected to be the heir to Rodgers, but back-to-back MVP seasons from Rodgers put that on hold. Yet following a substandard 2022 campaign, the Packers might be eyeing their once-prized prospect.
The Packers have a difficult decision to make. Do they want to make a final push with Rodgers at the expense of his heir, or do they rip the bandage off and make a move for the future with Love? And if Rodgers is indeed in his final days as a Packer, what does the future hold for the veteran?
Today’s Question of the Day is:
Will Aaron Rodgers be a Green Bay Packer next season?
My answer: I believe he will remain with Green Bay.
It’s not the decision I would make if I managed the Packers, but I believe they will keep Rodgers around for another year. It’s such a monumental risk to move away from a Hall of Fame-caliber quarterback for an unproven player entering his fourth year. In a league where job security is as fleeting as the wind, would their staff be willing to risk it all on one season of Love?
If the Packers moved on from Rodgers and Love struggled in 2023, it could result in a total house clearing in Green Bay. The luster has worn off of head coach Matt LaFleur, while general manager Brian Gutekunst will be on the hot seat for whatever decision he makes this offseason. Whether Rodgers stays or goes, the Packers will be taking a massive salary cap hit. I think this current regime is too strongly tied to Rodgers, and thus sticking with him for one more year makes sense. Just a season removed from from an MVP award, there’s a decent chance Rodgers rebounds as well, even with his age 40 season on the horizon.
There’s also the issue of actually trading Rodgers. With such a cap hit, finding a suitable partner is no easy matter—OverTheCap has a good breakdown of the trade financials. How much would a team be willing to pay for a potential rental quarterback seemingly on the decline? Not only does it have to make sense for the team financially, but the Packers would also have to agree on compensation. It’s such a wild situation, predicting what Rodgers would yield in return is extremely difficult. I don’t think retirement is a likely outcome for Rodgers either, though it would alleviate some financial issues.
I do hope I’m wrong and Rodgers departs Green Bay next season, whether for another team or retirement. Even if his best years are behind him, he has been a thorn in the side the Lions for over a decade. That being said, him staying in the NFC North would give Kerby Joseph a shot at a few more interceptions.
Your turn.
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