AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers apparently has been thinking about leaving the NFC North team for some time and reportedly did some recruiting during the 2020 season.
According to Tyler Dunne of Go Long, the future Hall of Famer told some opposing players he wanted to leave the only NFL team he has ever known and even asked if they would be interested in joining him somewhere else.
The drama surrounding Rodgers has been one of the biggest storylines of the entire NFL this offseason, and ESPN’s Rob Demovsky reported Monday that he did not report for the start of organized team activities.
It was an unsurprising development, although he typically attends OTAs and has an offseason workout bonus in his contract.
From the team’s perspective, Packers president Mark Murphy told reporters he wants Rodgers under center for “2021 and beyond.”
Still, the Packers selected Jordan Love in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft and added Blake Bortles as veteran insurance this offseason. Rodgers is a primary reason Green Bay reached the last two NFC Championship Games, but the team may eventually have to move on if he is adamant about not playing for it.
Rodgers talking to other players about leaving is not a new development, as Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reported on May 5 that Rodgers told some of Green Bay’s impending free agents he didn’t plan on returning.
Everything seems to be on the table at this point, from a trade to a possible Rodgers holdout.
How the situation ultimately unfolds will surely determine the Packers’ fate as potential Super Bowl contenders in 2021.
