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

[pacopete4]

Lol, comical stuff. ESPN is just pathetic these days. I really do miss the good ole days with them.

[Fear The Chorizo]

The more I think about this, the more it appears to me like Rodgers and his team were probably planning some form of contractual stink like this before the ink dried on his current deal 2.5 years ago - the only way he got paid as much as he did the last 3 seasons was how that contract extension was structured at the back end to create wiggle room for the Packers to either work a cap-friendlier deal to finish out Rodgers' career in Green Bay or move on from him after the 2021 season. There was no no-trade clause in this contract, but Rodgers' actions this offseason are trying to force one into it retroactively by doing all this a season before Packers' brass wanted to make that sort of call on whether to commit to him until he was ready to retire or trade him - and that fact Love is already in the building gives the Packers the option to move on if they really wanted to. Throw in the trimmed 2021 salary cap situation and the leverage Rodgers was hoping to have to try and get one more mega deal done with Green Bay isn't nearly as strong as what he was expecting it could be when he signed his current deal back in 2018.

 

EDIT: And after reading that tweet on Schefter's "article", it essentially comes down mostly to the Booyahs doing Booyah things....just stupid.

[MrTPlush]

Would you expect anything less from ESPN? That’s sports media these days. Timing articles, baseless rumors, and making clickbait articles/statements. Also not shocking all the info didn’t come from Rodgers camp.

 

Exactly how you would expect it.

[SeaBass]

All about the clicks, views, ratings.

 

Rodgers did say at the Kentucky Derby, through Mike Tirico because Rodgers doesn't make on the record comments himself, that it was unfortunate the goings on got leaked to the media.

 

We know the Packers wouldn't leak it either. But we've heard now that Rodgers has, allegedly, been telling free agents and people in his circle that he wasn't going to return to the Packers. When that many people know something it only takes one person to decide to talk, it's hard to sit on gossip that good.

[JimH5]

As I mentioned earlier, unlike most player-team disagreements this is not "millionaires versus billionaires" - the Packers are community-owned, not billionaire-owned, and as such Rodgers is by far the wealthiest person involved in the disagreement. He makes at least 10x what Gutekunst makes. Hell, based on what I can find online, Gutekunst's estimated net worth is not that different from mine (and that's good, considering he is exactly one month older than me).

 

This is spot on. Thanks, Louis. There is no Arthur Blank/Jerry Jones/Woody Johnson at the head of the Packers organization to play the foil against Rodgers. You're right. That's what makes this unique.

 

You've made it abundantly clear elsewhere that you root for players first where the Brewers are concerned, so I'm not surprised that this is a bit perplexing when viewed in that light.

 

Indeed, Peavy. The players are the product, with LOTS of people creating wealth on their backs. Careers are short, so the opportunity to cash in is short. That's especially true in football--and especially critical--as midlife and late-in-life medical expenses for players are their own to bear.

 

But, I'm concerned with stuff like 'I'm here for the angst and chaos' coupled with calling Packer fans 'jilted lovers'. Some places call that trolling, and last time I checked we didn't allow that here.

 

Fair point. I didn't poke at any individual, but I've been pretty dismissive to the collective Packers community, and I should not have been. I will save my outward glee for despondent Cubs and Cardinals fans.

 

Lots of good posts in this thread...I'll follow along as this story plays out.

[homer]

All about the clicks, views, ratings.

 

Rodgers did say at the Kentucky Derby, through Mike Tirico because Rodgers doesn't make on the record comments himself, that it was unfortunate the goings on got leaked to the media.

 

We know the Packers wouldn't leak it either. But we've heard now that Rodgers has, allegedly, been telling free agents and people in his circle that he wasn't going to return to the Packers. When that many people know something it only takes one person to decide to talk, it's hard to sit on gossip that good.

 

Yeah I don't think there's a coincidence that ESPN/ABC had really good ratings for the draft.

[bjkrautk]

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2021/05/06/do-packers-prefer-an-aaron-rodgers-retirement-to-a-trade/

 

I thought about posting something along these lines, suggesting the Packers front office should take a hard line approach; PFT says it better than I would have.

[nodakfan17]

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2021/05/06/do-packers-prefer-an-aaron-rodgers-retirement-to-a-trade/

 

I thought about posting something along these lines, suggesting the Packers front office should take a hard line approach; PFT says it better than I would have.

Thank you. That was a good read.

[GAME05]

Solid response

 

I'd give it a B. I should have said 'anything definitive....'

 

 

 

No, everything gets a C. It's best that way. We'll come back in three years to see how the comment played out.

[GAME05]

I'd venture to guess Agent39 knows the real scoop on this but at the same time wouldn't dare to say anything on a public board.

[GAME05]

So what's the general consensus? Is Rodgers all but gone come early June when that contract period starts/ends?

[MrTPlush]

So what's the general consensus? Is Rodgers all but gone come early June when that contract period starts/ends?

 

I think the general consensus is confusion.

[tmwiese55]

Seems the majority think that's the case. But I'd still lean towards this is overblown and they'll work out a contract before next season that gives him guarantees and locks him into GB for several more years instead of just one. Then they'll downplay. We'll see, but I think cooler heads will prevail.

[HarveysWBs]

Seems the majority think that's the case. But I'd still lean towards this is overblown and they'll work out a contract before next season that gives him guarantees and locks him into GB for several more years instead of just one. Then they'll downplay. We'll see, but I think cooler heads will prevail.

 

I think there’s still a very viable path to a Rodgers return at this point. He has said nothing publicly that makes him irredeemable to most of the fan base, and I read some of the developments of the last 24 hours (Kuhn’s comments, the Schefter interview) as a gift that could give Rodgers and the org a way to save face, blame the media, and work something out.

 

But, as always, we’re still just looking at an iceberg move on the surface and making predictions. It’s still the undersea ice that will determine if the ship sinks.

[madbad2000]

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2021/05/06/do-packers-prefer-an-aaron-rodgers-retirement-to-a-trade/

 

I thought about posting something along these lines, suggesting the Packers front office should take a hard line approach; PFT says it better than I would have.

 

That is an interesting take, but I would argue that is probably the worst case. If Rodgers retires, you get cap savings, but you don't get any picks/players in the deal. Sure you could go get some FAs, but you lose a huge draw to your team in your HOF QB. I would think the Packers want the 2-3 1st rounders, other picks (2nds) and a player or two to quickly reload.

 

From the Packers perspective, best case is probably:

 

1. Aaron Plays

2. Trade Rodgers for a windfall

3. Rodgers retires.

[homer]

 

This makes some sense. Niners/Shanahan seem shady enough to do it.

[CheezWizHed]

Schefter is now saying Rodgers and his camp are not the source and that he is the one that chose to drop this on Draft Day....for clicks I guess.

 

 

All I have to say is NFL draft drama. Next week it will be all the discussion on how they made up. Two weeks after that, he'll have an interview about how everything is wonderful...

 

Right on track...

 

Edit - Noting my original quote meant that this week we would hear how they "made it up" not "made up". I don't English good.

[HarveysWBs]

 

This makes some sense. Niners/Shanahan seem shady enough to do it.

Wonder how the Shanahan-LaFleur relationship is going these days? For supposedly being such good friends, Shanahan has played hardball from day one: not allowing Matt to take Saleh (which I get, it’s a lateral move, but Matt’s best friend) or his own brother (cold) to come work with him. Two epic beat downs in SF in 2019, and now this? LaFleur strikes me as a cool customer, but it would be impressive if he’s not a little fired up by now.

[CheezWizHed]

If this is legit and traceable back to the 49ers... does that count as tampering with someone under contract?

[homer]

If this is legit and traceable back to the 49ers... does that count as tampering with someone under contract?

 

I think Packers complained to the league about it but there's not much they can do. No proof.

[brwrsfan]

Not sure how they'd ever prove it. Schefter is never going to say who the sources were. Unless some texts or emails get out (and I'm guessing there aren't any of those anyways), would be almost impossible to prove.

 

The whole thing is getting weirder by the day. Obviously something is going on, but to what extent? Who knows.

 

It's hard not to think that while Schefter at least thinks something is going on, that he very well may have exaggerated a great deal just to increase ratings on the draft. I haven't seen it, but I'd imagine the first round of the draft (at least the first 2 hours until it became clear he wasn't being traded) was watched very, very heavily. Just a shady thing to do on his part (though I'm sure his employer loved it).

[nate82]

Schefter is now saying Rodgers and his camp are not the source and that he is the one that chose to drop this on Draft Day....for clicks I guess.

 

 

All I have to say is NFL draft drama. Next week it will be all the discussion on how they made up. Two weeks after that, he'll have an interview about how everything is wonderful...

 

Right on track...

 

Edit - Noting my original quote meant that this week we would hear how they "made it up" not "made up". I don't English good.

 

[reillymcshane]

I think the result is Rodgers comes back this year. Money is the big reason. If he retires, he has to:

 

- Repay $23M in signing bonus money (this is the prorated portion of his $57.5M signing bonus he got a few years ago)

- Repay a $6.8M roster bonus he got earlier this year

 

That's roughly $30M he has to repay.

 

Add in:

 

- $15M salary for this year he won't get.

 

Total: $45M. And again, 2/3 of that is money he has to give back. It's a lot harder to give up something you don't have compared to giving back what you possess.

 

Rodgers only has so many years to make this kind of cash. Thus he'll be back is my guess. Even if grudgingly.

 

To me, the big thing will be if the Packers and Rodgers can come to some understanding about his future. Is that a restructure to guarantee that he'll be he longer? Or do they simply say, "You signed it, Aaron, live with it." If that happens, then things could get nasty. However, I think it's in the best interests of everyone to work things out. But you never know.

 

Obviously, they could trade Rodgers, but they seem adamant that that isn't going to happen.

[LouisEly]

To add, if Love looked that good to Rodgers to the point he was scared, why wouldn’t the Packers have already made this saga end before the draft...or even now?

 

This year's horrendous salary cap situation is the answer to this question.

 

Yeah, the cap issue is a problem...but would the cap matter that much if we moved on from Rodgers. Realistically, you are probably punting your Super Bowl (probably playoffs in general) chances the first year of Love anyway. I won’t pretend to know a lot about the effect that would have had on the cap, especially if we would have been needing to sign a Top 10 pick, but it would have been possible I am sure.

If there was a "plan", I'd be surprised if it was to move on from Rodgers prior to the end of the 2022 season. $17M is a hefty cap charge to take for a person who is no longer on their team. That give Love three years to develop, same as Rodgers.

[xisxisxis]

Don't believe any of the crap from ESPN.

 

Rodgers hasn't done anything to defuse the situation. Not a single tweet, etc. His only comment was he was disappointed the issues came out.

 

So even if Rodgers and his "team" are not the source, the lack of a denial means Rodgers OWNS the leaks...