Rodgers

[Remote Controller]

I want him gone. I would rather the Pack trade him so they get something in return, but understand if they sit on their hands and make him sit out or retire. I love the fact that this drama likely sinks his chance at becoming the host of Jeopardy. That host was beloved and the new one needs to be lovable. I was always a Favre guy, and loved it when he came back as a Vike to beat Rodgers twice. I am a Pack fan and that case was an oddity. I will not cheer for Rodgers in anything.

 

[efactor]

I've always liked Rodgers, but yeah, he is acting like a big DB right now.

Might want to take a lesson from Tom Brady on how to handle these kind of issues.

 

[Phicinfan]

Its a no win for either. Rodgers looks like a pouting baby, and GB upper management looks like they are incompetent in handling talent. All of this could have been avoided early, had both parties just sat and talked.

I can see both sides, GB wanted to protect for the future, you can't keep paying Qb $30 million a year with cap. That being said, had they drafted Love after talking to Rodgers, and then fixed the contract issue then, it could have been cleared up.

GB wants it cake(Rodgers) but at a level they can drop with no issues, and to eat - by drafting Love

 

[efactor]

So no obligation on Rodgers part to play out his current contract?

 

[Remote Controller]

So no obligation on Rodgers part to play out his current contract?

he would have to return 23 million if he retires

 

[Phicinfan]

So no obligation on Rodgers part to play out his current contract?

How many teams cut players with active contracts? Its a business, and both are playing in it. So no, I don't think he owes any more loyalty than any NFL team owes.

RC is right if he retires. I believe the cap hit to GB is $17 million this year if they cut or trade him post June 1st.

 

[efactor]

I saw that. Just wondering why Rodgers feels GB is required to give him a newer and better contract when he has a couple years left on this one?

 

[Phicinfan]

Depends on your point of view I guess.

Why should Watson be able to force his way out of Houston? Granted the team was totally mis-managed by O'Brien.
Why should Russell Wilson be able to try and force his way out of Seattle just because the HC wants to run more? Oh - this hasn't been solved yet....
So why should Aaron Rodgers demand team loyalty and get an extension so he can retire a Packer? Cause he was last years MVP and he has basically carried the team's offense the last few years.

That is just how it is, the players are enforcing more power and more control.

Now, had the GM been smart and gone to Rodgers and say - Hey Aaron, remember when you got hurt in 2017 and missed 9 games? And we really struggled with you out? We really like this kid in this draft, and if we can we want to go get him, so the team has protection should you get hurt again. Really that simple.
I would add Green Bay really hasn't drafted all that well, and alot of the tools they got were not all that. At one point, I would have bet if the team had NOT re-signed Aaron Jones and still let Williams go, AND not draft Wr in first round, this would have been much, much worse.

The whole problem is the league is over paying the position. Bucky Brooks on NFL.com caught a ton of flack for suggesting Baltimore should walk away from Jackson if they get the chance and let the next guy get drafted. Said same thing for teams like Cleveland and Buffalo. With Qb's getting $35 to $45 million a year - it kills your cap and what you want to do. You would think SOME of these guys would see what Brady did in NE, and took less money to get more talent to help. It wasn't until he finally realized they weren't getting that extra talent he said screw this, and bolted to the land of Wr plenty in Tampa Bay.

 

[Phicinfan]

One other thing here.....
You go and sign Rodgers to a top contract(4 year extension in 2018). Then with 4 years left on that deal, you move UP in a first round of a draft and take another Qb. Now, Aaron and everyone else isn't stupid. You can't give up resources like that for nothing. But worse, they have talked to other players on the team, and FA's per report saying we really want to sign you, but we have to get the Rodgers thing done first. HUH? So you are blaming your lack of budget control on the Qb YOU signed? Then do you offer him an extension that really helps you reduce cap hit this year? No, you ONLY offer a restructure that also helps but ONLY this year. Aaron isn't stupid gang.

So if you want to protect for me leaving, then let me leave. That is part of what Aaron is doing, he wants to control the story, not be a target of it.

 

[Remote Controller]

I just hope he gets traded, and the Pack gets adequate return for him. I'm done with him. It will be gratifying if he sits out and focuses the spotlight more on himself than it is already glaring, but the team will suffer. The supposed SF trade would have been great. I don't see what Denver can really do.

 

[Remote Controller]

This is listed in Phicin's NFL schedule thread, but I find it interesting that ESPN's Mena Kimes, when asked on the Dan Patrick show about the NFL schedule, and whether or not there were any hidden nuggets of info to be take from it, answered that she thought it might be fairly telling that the Green Bay Packers had 5 primetime games with the status of Rodgers at this time.

:Edited to say that that was the longest sentence I ever typed.:

She was alluding to Dan's loaded question of what info the NFL might know that isn't common knowledge before a the start of the season.

 

[Phicinfan]

Okay, after all the hype about his interview with Kenny Maine - and the fact no real news came out... Time to rant.

First - This is Green Bay's fault. Period.
You have had a multiple MVP Qb who has been your main driver of your offense - you need to let him know you are protecting for the future. Give him a heads up - that if the oportunity arrives - you will make a move to get this Qb you really like to both protect for future(without Aaron) and if Aaron gets hurt as he did in 2017.

Second - You also have to talk contract THEN. Either you tell him, plan is to move to Love in a year or so, and lets rework your deal to maximize your time here, or you extend him to let him know you are protecting for the future. You can structure contracts these days to front load so later he can move on or retire and not kill your franchise.

Third - Now that the ship has sailed. You HAVE to decide to move or stay. You cannot keep it as is. So you either redo his deal for an extension in years and benefit to show he is the guy - or you trade post June 1 and get value you can get. If he sits out, or has a bad year or he gets hurt, you lose all value and are worse off next year. Crap or get off the pot.

Now, this is NOT to say Aaron isn't a manipulative bitch either. He is trying to be Carson Palmer - problem is, Carson wasn't getting any support from Cincy, and they were nickel and diming the team. That is NOT the case in GB. For all the noise of he has no targets - they were the highest scoring team in NFL last year and he was MVP due to the passing game. So that argument won't wash.

To me this is very simple. NFL is a business. It is a business that has a hard salary cap, and the QB position takes a HUGE chunk of that cap. So where GB really screwed up was not getting a QB that could play right away - and moving on from Aaron for max value. Instead they did the Farve model that dragged out then too. You have to learn from history folks.

Oh, and for those of you out there that says - Rodgers is worth too much, he could be the next Tom Brady... Here is my answer. Do you know why Tom won so much? He had a great HC, and he took team friendly deals to help the team have that talent around him. In fact, he didn't leave that team until it became clear he wasn't getting enough tools to win. So he took his ball - took another friendly deal and went to Tampa where the HC is a genius and the team was stacked with talent and it wasn't all on him. I don't see Rodgers taking less so the team can resign Adams next year and continue to add talent.

 

[efactor]

Oh, and for those of you out there that says - Rodgers is worth too much, he could be the next Tom Brady... Here is my answer. Do you know why Tom won so much? He had a great HC, and he took team friendly deals to help the team have that talent around him. In fact, he didn't leave that team until it became clear he wasn't getting enough tools to win. So he took his ball - took another friendly deal and went to Tampa where the HC is a genius and the team was stacked with talent and it wasn't all on him. I don't see Rodgers taking less so the team can resign Adams next year and continue to add talent.

Well, as far as Brady taking less money, it's a bit easier when your wife is a gizzionaire. Rodgers won't and shouldn't take less money.

 

[Phicinfan]

Well, as far as Brady taking less money, it's a bit easier when your wife is a gizzionaire. Rodgers won't and shouldn't take less money.

Don’t whine about tools when you are eating up the cap. That is how it works

 

[efactor]

Don’t whine about tools when you are eating up the cap. That is how it works

Well, they could have drafted a WR last year instead of Love. They could have drafted a WR this year instead of a CB. Money is the same. I don't think he expects them to sign Julio, but drafting Love pissed him off, not just because he's a QB, but because he wasn't going to help in the short term.

 

[Phicinfan]

Well, they could have drafted a WR last year instead of Love. They could have drafted a WR this year instead of a CB. Money is the same. I don't think he expects them to sign Julio, but drafting Love pissed him off, not just because he's a QB, but because he wasn't going to help in the short term.

You are missing the point. They just signed him, then had a down year, then they saw future they liked. They also knew that 3 QBs have been signed to bigger deal. They had asked Rodgers to convert to signing bonus and he declined. Like it or not if you have a big $$$$ QB on budget rest of team suffers. Cb this year was a much larger need

 

[efactor]

You are missing the point. They just signed him, then had a down year, then they saw future they liked. They also knew that 3 QBs have been signed to bigger deal. They had asked Rodgers to convert to signing bonus and he declined. Like it or not if you have a big $$$$ QB on budget rest of team suffers. Cb this year was a much larger need

Actually no, I’m not missing the point. His 2019 was very similar to his 2018 season, so it wasn't a down year. Also, they went 13-3 and made the NFC Championship game. Granted, it wasn't the magical year he had in 2020, but hardly a "down season". I don't know anyone who didn't think he was still a top 5 QB in real football, if not fantasy football. Rumor is they wanted Aiyuk and when he went off the board, they traded up for Love. That was just friggin stupid. There were still some good WRs left and GB was in an obvious "win now" situation but instead of giving Rodgers more weapons, they draft his replacement and then don't expect him to be pissed?

He has no obligation to restructure his contract for a team that drafted someone to replace him instead of giving him more weapons. Now, the realization that Love isn't nearly ready has set in and NOW they want to make Rodgers happy.

Rodgers is a different kind of guy. Quirky and holds grudges. GB should have know this when they drafted Love. They never even told him that was a possibility.

 

[Phicinfan]

Actually no, I’m not missing the point. His 2019 was very similar to his 2018 season, so it wasn't a down year. Also, they went 13-3 and made the NFC Championship game. Granted, it wasn't the magical year he had in 2020, but hardly a "down season".

You are correct, it was 2017 he got hurt, and was down, my bad.

I don't know anyone who didn't think he was still a top 5 QB in real football, if not fantasy football.

Never said he wasn't, he is what he is, but he is expensive

Rumor is they wanted Aiyuk and when he went off the board, they traded up for Love. That was just friggin stupid. There were still some good WRs left and GB was in an obvious "win now" situation but instead of giving Rodgers more weapons, they draft his replacement and then don't expect him to be pissed?

Okay so you are saying Rodgers is lying? He stated himself that the drafting of Love wasn't the issue. Regardless, they just had to extend him in 2018 and knew if they had to extend him again he would be even more costly. They per reports really love Love(sorry...) and wanted him. I have not seen anything about them wanting Aiyuk, this was a GM move where they wanted Love to still be successful if Rodgers got hurt, AND to move on when contract go too pricey. Its a business.

He has no obligation to restructure his contract for a team that drafted someone to replace him instead of giving him more weapons. Now, the realization that Love isn't nearly ready has set in and NOW they want to make Rodgers happy.

You are correct, he has no obligation. Guess what, the team can do it without his permission. Look it up, but they didn't, they tried to work with him. HERE though is where the team screwed up most. Per some reports I have found - they tried to cut years as well as restructure. Stupid, coming off a MVP year. Please note above I called out how stupid GB was in all this.

Rodgers is a different kind of guy. Quirky and holds grudges. GB should have know this when they drafted Love. They never even told him that was a possibility.

Great, he is quirky. My point remains, if he wanted the Superbowls and the fame, he could have done a team friendly deal and allowed the team to get better elsewhere as Brady has done. He didn't, he wanted and I believe insisted on being the highest paid Qb. Since then Mahomes and others like Watson has surpassed him. GB can't pay him more, they are cap strapped. That is the only call out I have on Rodgers. He got greedy, and team made moves to move on and now he is crying a river. Just a bit tired of hearing how bad it is for him....

 

[efactor]

Okay so you are saying Rodgers is lying? He stated himself that the drafting of Love wasn't the issue.

Well, yeah

Drafting Love was a huge issue with him and everyone knows it. He wanted a WR and instead, they drafted his eventual replacement who does nothing to help them win now during this window of opportunity.

Even if they had stayed at 30, Higgins, Pittman and Shenault were available.

 

[Phicinfan]

Green Bay is calling Rodger's bluff - per a report in the Athletic.com(per PFT) - GM has stated the team will NOT trade him, and are not convinced he won't play for them ever again.

It's all on Rodgers now - he has stayed away from voluntary OTA's.