Report: Rodgers wants new contract (Update: May not want to return in 2021)

[HarveysWBs]

Also forgotten is that Rodgers wanted Jimmy Graham, as in, that was his guy:

 

So you’ll forgive me if I take the argument that Rodgers needs to be telling the front office who to go get with about a Dead Sea level of salt.

 

All these other arguments and justifications (Rodgers needs help, Rodgers needs input on personnel, Rodgers needs to be in California) are just background noises. The real issue has to be something else: Rodgers wants clarity, and/or he’s pissed about Love.

[PeaveyFury]

You can only upgrade so much at-a-time, but the press seems to think that the 2020 Packers are no different than the 2016 Packers and Gute just fiddles while Rodger's burns...

 

I think that this is another really good point. I DO think there were seasons (like 2016) where the Packers were basically Rodgers pushing them further than they had any right to go (not terribly dissimilar to some of Favre's teams) because of the falling off of talent. I really, really don't think these '19 or '20 NFC Championship runner-up teams are the same at all. There's a ton of talent there BEYOND Rodgers. Doesn't mean that they're able to remove Rodgers from the equation and assume they can win without him, but I don't think he's truly carrying the team in a way that he had to 3-5-ish years ago. The roster has improved DRAMATICALLY under Gute, from top to bottom.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

FWIW, multiple players on the team seemed to mock these reports last night on Twitter.

[PeaveyFury]

FWIW, multiple players on the team seemed to mock these reports last night on Twitter.

 

I saw interviews with Clark and Sternberger, and both were dismissive of it. I suppose it's unlikely a current player isn't likely to make waves though.

[homer]

The more I read and hear (and let's face it, GB is a small town and people talk) the more I think this is a negotiating ploy. I also think Gute and Co. knew it was coming.

[nodakfan17]

FWIW, multiple players on the team seemed to mock these reports last night on Twitter.

 

I saw interviews with Clark and Sternberger, and both were dismissive of it. I suppose it's unlikely a current player isn't likely to make waves though.

I think that’s part of the Player’s Code (not commenting on teammates’ contracts). But yes, the fact that no one is piling on is a small positive.

[Fear The Chorizo]

We've also got to remember that Rodgers' current contract doesn't necessarily prohibit the Packers from keeping him around the next 3 seasons...they have a handy out after 2021 without taking a huge cap hit, but they could also just pay him the current 2022 and 2023 contract amounts until he's 41. Not ideal given the cap issues but also not impossible.

 

To me this a urinating contest between Rodgers' camp and the Packers' FO over exactly when Rodgers' deal gets redone and exactly how long the new guaranteed dollars are extended - Gute probably was hoping to get as friendly a restructure/new contract with Rodgers that would have them covered for the next 3-4 seasons, and Rodgers balked at it because it doesn't have enough guaranteed money in it for long enough. Rodgers is now playing hardball and trying to force the issue knowing the Packers probably don't want to have their best option be cutting him after 2021, and also knowing he'll never have more leverage than he does right now given his current contract status/age/coming off an MVP season/etc.

 

And that all has nothing to do with Jeopardy or the fallacy that there hasn't been enough done around him to build a contending roster.

[GAME05]

All the talk about not taking a WR in the first round comes with a certain presumption that only first-round WRs can be any good. I'd have been happy with Moore, but at the same time, for the WRs we already have, a late 1st WR might have been competing to be what, the #3 or #4 on the roster? And that's not a big bump in terms of SB chances this coming season.

 

If Rodgers wants out, so be it. Although I still think 90% of it is just writers hyping things up so we'll read their articles. And yeah trade targets like San Francisco picked up a QB and probably won't want Rodgers next year, but there's going to be plenty of other teams who will suddenly want him. if Ryan retires, Atlanta would be a perfect candidate, or maybe the Eagles, or Miami.

[MrTPlush]

In my opinion the Packers should just ride out this year and see what Rodgers does. If he has another age-less MVP conversation season then just give the man his money and trade Love why he still has lots of hype aka still has good trade value.

 

I don't think anyone expected a huge bounce back in the way he did. Packers FO is probably shocked and probably regrets the Love selection a bit now...in my opinion. Unless they really feel Love is a special QB (like pro bowl every year good) they should feel obligated to go the route they thought they were commiting to last year.

 

Again...just my opinion. I may be way off, but who knows what the Packers really think in all of this. I just don't think the purpose of the Love pick was for money reasons. I think they feared their HOF QB was somewhat on the decline and maybe a bit injury prone at this venture. Now that Rodgers had a completely healthy season and was the MVP I think they are like a deer in the headlights in some ways.

[HiAndTight]

I think most of the takes are that the Packers aren't doing enough to win now and they're planning for the future while Aaron is running out of time more than he's afraid Love is going to take his job.

Yeah, but I think that's been placed on Gute when most of the issue arose because of Ted Thompson's draft record near the end and his avoidance of the FA market to address deficiencies. The Packer's record really hid the fact that there was a huge talent dropoff at many positions during that time and Gute has had to address those both through the draft and by spending a lot of money in FA to get more talent back onto the team. You can only upgrade so much at-a-time, but the press seems to think that the 2020 Packers are no different than the 2016 Packers and Gute just fiddles while Rodger's burns...

 

 

That's true. They're really not taking the time to differentiate between front offices. Thompson likely would have picked a couple of WR's earlier.

 

I guess the one thing they still haven't really done is aggressively try to go out and get someone in the season to fill a need. You hear how they TALKED to the Giants about Davlin Tomlinson, they've talked to the Jets about Q Williams, they talked to all these teams about all these players...and while it's great they're doing their due diligence, it just seems like very year the teams we're competing against go out and make moves while we don't. The 49'ers, the Saints, the Buccs(who got McClendon for a 7th rounder last year IIRC...he was big for them until Vea got back and would have fit very well for us). Shelby Harris is another example, he was on the trade block.

 

 

But Gute's done a very good job so far. I'd argue he's done better than Thompson has early on in his tenure overall. His misses have been pretty rare. The worst one is...J'mon Moore or Josh Jackson? And Jackson was a guy some had graded as the top CB in that draft class(at least over Alexander).

 

 

But all idiots like SAS need to see is...."Aaron Rodgers has thrown 1 TD pass to a 1st round draft pick..." As if the Packers would have been better off taking Jordy 5 picks higher or Jennings or Adams in the 1st round.

[HiAndTight]

In my opinion the Packers should just ride out this year and see what Rodgers does. If he has another age-less MVP conversation season then just give the man his money and trade Love why he still has lots of hype aka still has good trade value.

 

I don't think anyone expected a huge bounce back in the way he did. Packers FO is probably shocked and probably regrets the Love selection a bit now...in my opinion. Unless they really feel Love is a special QB (like pro bowl every year good) they should feel obligated to go the route they thought they were commiting to last year.

 

Again...just my opinion. I may be way off, but who knows what the Packers really think in all of this. I just don't think the purpose of the Love pick was for money reasons. I think they feared their HOF QB was somewhat on the decline and maybe a bit injury prone at this venture. Now that Rodgers had a completely healthy season and was the MVP I think they are like a deer in the headlights in some ways.

 

 

I don't think anyone ever expects the type of season he had this year...but I think quite a few people thought he'd have a pretty big bounce back and be in that MVP conversation.

 

This offense really takes off for a QB in their 2nd year in it. I'd hope the team would know that. I really think they just thought Love was THAT good and they had to take him. And in their defense, there were a lot of people who thought he'd go in the top 10 last year, possibly to the Chargers who weren't certain about Herbert until late in the process.

 

 

One thing that really hurts the perception of Love, he had this huge year his first year as a starter, then they lost pretty much the entire offense. His top 6 receivers, his entire OL, 3rd new offensive system in 3 years there.

 

If he goes back, maybe it's between him and Wilson for the top QB from Utah. Or maybe he struggles again...but there's just so little known about him. At least we'll get to see him in the Pre-season. That should give us some general indication if he's moving in the right direction or not.

[rickh150]

So does this go back to Love?

 

If it does, how absolutely absurd is it that he would do to Love exactly what was done to him 13 years ago?

 

Agreed.... he’s doing himself no favors. His memory is failing him.

[HiAndTight]

We've also got to remember that Rodgers' current contract doesn't necessarily prohibit the Packers from keeping him around the next 3 seasons...they have a handy out after 2021 without taking a huge cap hit, but they could also just pay him the current 2022 and 2023 contract amounts until he's 41. Not ideal given the cap issues but also not impossible.

 

To me this a urinating contest between Rodgers' camp and the Packers' FO over exactly when Rodgers' deal gets redone and exactly how long the new guaranteed dollars are extended - Gute probably was hoping to get as friendly a restructure/new contract with Rodgers that would have them covered for the next 3-4 seasons, and Rodgers balked at it because it doesn't have enough guaranteed money in it for long enough. Rodgers is now playing hardball and trying to force the issue knowing the Packers probably don't want to have their best option be cutting him after 2021, and also knowing he'll never have more leverage than he does right now given his current contract status/age/coming off an MVP season/etc.

 

And that all has nothing to do with Jeopardy or the fallacy that there hasn't been enough done around him to build a contending roster.

 

 

You can argue that it's a fallacy that the problem is offensive weapons...but you can also make a pretty strong argument that they've done less than just about every other contender.

[HiAndTight]

FWIW, multiple players on the team seemed to mock these reports last night on Twitter.

 

 

We should also remember that immediately after the NFCCG he made some VERY vague and general statements about how he doesn't know what the future holds for him or other players on the team...and then people immediately picked that up and ran with it.

 

Wilbon said that he guaranteed after that statement, Rodgers had played his last game in Green Bay.

 

Then we actually heard from Rodgers just a couple days later and he was kinda dumbfounded that it was as big of a deal as it was.

 

 

I think there's probably a little more to this...but I think it's also not nearly as big of a story at they're making it out to be. Mark Schelrleth is on the radio apparently in Denver saying a deal is almost complete again today.

 

How in the hell would he know? What is Denver going to give us? Bolles, Surtain, Jeudy, Lock and their next 3 1st round picks? Just how good would the offer have to be in order to justify trading him?

[rickh150]

If Gute continues to say no to trading Rodgers, I cannot see a situation where this goes well.

Either/And....

Rodgers won’t back down and won’t play for the Packers.

The team will be haunted by playing and losing with Love.

They’ll have an MVP in their back pocket that could be traded for immediate or future help with the team, but that will result in the Packers having to eat crow and do a 180 on their initial decision.

[HiAndTight]

I think the argument that they are not doing enough to win now has mostly been proven wrong, even in this thread.

 

As far as a bigger commitment from the Packers, he has had that in the past, apparently, they have been working on it. I think this is the biggest stumbling block on both sides.

 

 

I don't think it has been at all.

 

As far as the commitment...I would guess he'd say when you trade up for a QB in the 1st round, you don't feel all that committed.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

I think the argument that they are not doing enough to win now has mostly been proven wrong, even in this thread.

 

As far as a bigger commitment from the Packers, he has had that in the past, apparently, they have been working on it. I think this is the biggest stumbling block on both sides.

 

 

I don't think it has been at all.

 

As far as the commitment...I would guess he'd say when you trade up for a QB in the 1st round, you don't feel all that committed.

 

It is certainly possible for a team to be committed to success both in the present and in the future, though. This doesn't have to be an either/or situation.

[OldHeidelberg]

In my opinion the Packers should just ride out this year and see what Rodgers does. If he has another age-less MVP conversation season then just give the man his money and trade Love why he still has lots of hype aka still has good trade value.

 

I don't think anyone expected a huge bounce back in the way he did. Packers FO is probably shocked and probably regrets the Love selection a bit now...in my opinion. Unless they really feel Love is a special QB (like pro bowl every year good) they should feel obligated to go the route they thought they were commiting to last year.

 

Again...just my opinion. I may be way off, but who knows what the Packers really think in all of this. I just don't think the purpose of the Love pick was for money reasons. I think they feared their HOF QB was somewhat on the decline and maybe a bit injury prone at this venture. Now that Rodgers had a completely healthy season and was the MVP I think they are like a deer in the headlights in some ways.

 

I sort of think there was some bad blood among some of the Packer brass, probably Gutes from the sound of things, about how things went down in MM's last year. McCarthy was there for a long time and I am sure had a lot of friends in the front office who he still talks to, that Rodgers didn't like him and maybe refused to run his plays may not sit well in a organization structured like the Packers. It seems like a huge unnecessary risk, maybe they feel confident after coming out of the Favre mess looking good but about 90% of that is just how good Rodgers has been. Plenty of blame on both sides I am sure but if the Packers thought having Rodgers under contract gave them the upper hand they haven't been paying attention to pro sports much, stars on Rodgers level can and will force their way out. Really unbelievable we seem to be going through all this again, hopefully there won't be the schism among fans that there was last time but we are in an era where people pick sides and dig in on every issue so not really optimistic.

[HiAndTight]

If Gute continues to say no to trading Rodgers, I cannot see a situation where this goes well.

Either/And....

Rodgers won’t back down and won’t play for the Packers.

The team will be haunted by playing and losing with Love.

They’ll have an MVP in their back pocket that could be traded for immediate or future help with the team, but that will result in the Packers having to eat crow and do a 180 on their initial decision.

 

 

Or they'll extend Rodgers and he'll play in Green Bay this season.

Or they won't extend him and trade him after next season.

 

Until Rodgers or Dunn demands a trade or says anything publicly, I don't think there is a guarantee that it's headed for quite such a disastrous end. Or that it's even true for that matter. We see how guys like Rob Demovsky love to just stir crap up.

[HiAndTight]

I think the argument that they are not doing enough to win now has mostly been proven wrong, even in this thread.

 

As far as a bigger commitment from the Packers, he has had that in the past, apparently, they have been working on it. I think this is the biggest stumbling block on both sides.

 

 

I don't think it has been at all.

 

As far as the commitment...I would guess he'd say when you trade up for a QB in the 1st round, you don't feel all that committed.

 

It is certainly possible for a team to be committed to success both in the present and in the future, though. This doesn't have to be an either/or situation.

 

 

Of course, but if you're Aaron Rodgers and you've been to the NFFCG that season and you've said you want to play well into your 40's, your dream is to play for one team...etc...etc...then picking a QB in the 1st round likely felt like they aren't committed to him long term.

 

He was probably a bit just...dumbfounded. He'd dragged that team to the playoffs a number of times, into the NFFCG just a few years before that vs ATL and now they're this close and they take a QB.

 

You can see from his perspective how that might be a bit contradictory, right?

[GreatNWwi]

 

 

Of course, but if you're Aaron Rodgers and you've been to the NFFCG that season and you've said you want to play well into your 40's, your dream is to play for one team...etc...etc...then picking a QB in the 1st round likely felt like they aren't committed to him long term.

 

He was probably a bit just...dumbfounded. He'd dragged that team to the playoffs a number of times, into the NFFCG just a few years before that vs ATL and now they're this close and they take a QB.

 

You can see from his perspective how that might be a bit contradictory, right?

 

So by saying that you feel he feels threatened by Love? That was my previous point.

[adambr2]

Frankly, I think even if Rodgers doesn't actually want out, he's a bit of a drama queen who loves stirring the pot.

 

He could basically kill this in 30 seconds with a tweet if he really wanted to. There's a reason he isn't.

 

No different than Favre, really. Favre just had other methods for making himself the center of attention.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

The Mark Schlereth bit is interesting. Rodgers texted him after he'd gone on the radio and said Rodgers was going to Denver. He asked who his source was. Schlereth asked if it was true and Rodgers said "I'll let you know when I know."

 

Sounds like negotiating ploy to me.

[monkeyman343434]

 

 

Of course, but if you're Aaron Rodgers and you've been to the NFFCG that season and you've said you want to play well into your 40's, your dream is to play for one team...etc...etc...then picking a QB in the 1st round likely felt like they aren't committed to him long term.

 

He was probably a bit just...dumbfounded. He'd dragged that team to the playoffs a number of times, into the NFFCG just a few years before that vs ATL and now they're this close and they take a QB.

 

You can see from his perspective how that might be a bit contradictory, right?

 

So by saying that you feel he feels threatened by Love? That was my previous point.

 

No, it isn't being threatened, it is investing the team's most valuable draft asset on something that doesn't currently help the team that he is currently on that is a very small step away from the very top.

 

It is 2020, QBs come out of college more ready to play right from the get-go than ever before. There is 0 reason to draft a QB and let them develop more than a year in today's NFL (unless it is like a Round 3 or later pick). Drew Brees skills had deteriorated so much, but did NO go and draft his successor in the 1st round? No, they picked up vet backups, and whatever you want to call T. Hill, and they kept investing into the team to give them the best chance to succeed. He retires, and now they have Jameis and T. Hill. Yeah, maybe it doesn't work out with those 2 QBs, but then they can go ahead and draft a QB next year. That's the path the Packers should have gone while extending its current window as much as possible.

 

Why would a QB like Rodgers, coming off of a MVP season, want to enter the next season on a lame-duck contract? F that. He deserves to have a contract that guarantees he will be with his team more than 1 more season, rather than this crap where they can basically move on from him scot-free after the 2021 season. If they're so insistent moving on from him, just do it now. He is owed that much, he's a 3 time MVP.

[tmwiese55]

Yes I think Monkey's last paragraph summarizes it well. With the Love pick GB showed to him they view him/this as a business, so now Rodgers is doing the same to cover himself. They essentially said we are very open to trading/cutting you after 2021, he's not dumb. So now he's on a lame duck contract situation and just won MVP. Perhaps if they didn't poke the bear he'd have been apt to do this behind the scenes and get something team friendly done that helps secure him while simultaneously helping the cap number. Instead, they ticked him off and now he's playing hardball.

 

Plus, of course a good pick in the 1st last year could've been the difference in that game if he panned out and was at the right spot, likely DB so King doesn't blow that game.