Thursday was an incredibly eventful day in the NFL. Yes, it’s true that the 2021 NFL Draft began, but the juiciest storyline had to do with the reigning NFL MVP. Hours before the start of the draft, it was reported that Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers had told members within the organization that he did not want to return to the team.
It appears things behind the scenes between Rodgers and the Packers were even worse than we could imagine, as longtime NFL reporter Trey Wingo reported that the Packers told Rodgers they’d look to trade him this offseason before abandoning that mission. As you would imagine, Rodgers was not happy about this, and over the last week reportedly told the Packers that regardless of whether or not a deal is struck, he would not be returning to the club.
Following the conclusion of the first round of the draft, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst met with reporters to discuss the selection of former Georgia cornerback Eric Stokes. As you would imagine, however, there were questions asked about Rodgers and his future with the franchise. Gutekunst said that he never promised Rodgers he would be traded this offseason, according to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, and then doubled down by definitively saying “No, we’re not going to trade Aaron Rodgers.”
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Gutekunst believes Rodgers will remain with the Packers, and that they will continue to work through the current trials and tribulations they are facing.
“He’s our quarterback. He’s our leader,” said Gutekunst, via Pelissero. “We’ve been working through this for a little while now. I just think it might take some time. But he’s the guy that makes this thing go.”
While this may take some time to figure out, other teams are reportedly already making trade offers in an attempt to acquire the reigning MVP. According to CBS Sports senior reporter Jonathan Jones, the Denver Broncos have “put together an impressive deal” to acquire Rodgers. Jones’ report comes on the heels of a separate report from Mark Schlereth, who told 104.3 The Fan in Denver that a Rodgers-to-Broncos trade is “as close to a done deal as it can get.”
This appears to be a stand-off, and there’s no indication who will blink first. Either way, Green Bay’s future at quarterback is legitimately in question.
