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

[JosephC]

I think Rodgers will eventually back down and become a good soldier again once training camp rolls around. He is a player who cares very much about his legacy as a Packer, and very much for the fanbase that has cheered him on for 15 years. If his goal was to try to make a point that he feels disrespected that the Packers put a contingency plan in place to move on from him, mission accomplished. The vast majority of fans want him back very much. But it has gotten to the point where most fans also want this to go away. If this drags into training camp, and there is still mystery surrounding Rodgers true intentions and what truly upset him, the fanbase will eventually turn on him. But if he shows up in July ready to work, and basically says "bygones are what they are, but I'm a Packer, and I'm here to win a Super Bowl", fans will quickly forget the diva behavior.

 

NFL players also tend for forget those huge signing bonuses shortly after they collect them. Rodgers was actually only paid 7.29 million last year in salary and new bonus money. That could also be one of his complaints (completely forgetting about the 57 million he was paid when he signed the deal).

 

But in 2021 his pay is no longer 7.29 million. It goes up to 22 million. If Rodgers becomes a good soldier again when training camp starts, which he very likely will, it will have a lot to do with that 22 million rather than his legacy as a Packer.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

I think Rodgers will eventually back down and become a good soldier again once training camp rolls around. He is a player who cares very much about his legacy as a Packer, and very much for the fanbase that has cheered him on for 15 years. If his goal was to try to make a point that he feels disrespected that the Packers put a contingency plan in place to move on from him, mission accomplished. The vast majority of fans want him back very much. But it has gotten to the point where most fans also want this to go away. If this drags into training camp, and there is still mystery surrounding Rodgers true intentions and what truly upset him, the fanbase will eventually turn on him. But if he shows up in July ready to work, and basically says "bygones are what they are, but I'm a Packer, and I'm here to win a Super Bowl", fans will quickly forget the diva behavior.

 

NFL players also tend for forget those huge signing bonuses shortly after they collect them. Rodgers was actually only paid 7.29 million last year in salary and new bonus money. That could also be one of his complaints (completely forgetting about the 57 million he was paid when he signed the deal).

 

But in 2021 his pay is no longer 7.29 million. It goes up to 22 million. If Rodgers becomes a good soldier again when training camp starts, which he very likely will, it will have a lot to do with that 22 million rather than his legacy as a Packer.

 

I mean, I get it. Money talks. It always has. But according to Sportrac, Rodgers has made nearly $241 million so far in his 16-year career. He's engaged to a multimillionaire actress. He has several national endorsement deals that pay him more untold millions. If Aaron Rodgers cares more about earning more money than Mahomes than he does about winning and his legacy as an NFL football player at this point in his career, he's doing it wrong.

[JohnBriggs12]

In the end, with a guy like Rodgers, it's all me, me, me. If he wanted to play an individual sport, maybe he should have focused on golf.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Honestly just trade the guy on June 2nd and be done with it.

 

There are still a boatload of teams willing to give up a stupid haul for a 37 year old, may as well take advantage of it while you can. The day when someone else is under center is inevitable anyway. Might as well get something for him on his way out rather than just be stuck with an obvious malcontent.

 

I'm with you. Make him happy today and the guy will find something else to cry about next year. Just cut your losses with the headache.

[sveumrules]

Yeah, my preferred order of potential outcomes at this point would be 1) trade for a haul 2) retire & write out a check to the Packers 3) QB in GB.

[pacopete4]

It truly is amazing how this guy has flushed away a lot of his support. I am one that did not see that happening. I've always thought he was smug and a bit selfish but got away with it because he was just so damn good at throwing a football. It will truly be interesting to see how these next steps play out and how he responds to some harshness of what was once a pretty loyal Rodgers fanbase.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Brewer Fan has always had a bit of a higher fan IQ in my opinion. Reddit is absolutely full of people convinced that the Packers have done Rodgers grossly wrong. When the team posts on FB, you see the same thing. As far as I can tell, the vocal majority is in Camp Rodgers. It could change, but I think for now that's where it is. I kinda remember Favre playing out the same way.

[MrTPlush]

It probably helps Rodgers is upset for a lot of the same reasons Packers fans are upset with the Packers front office.

 

There has always been a belief the Packers have wasted Rodgers career and didn't treat him the way they should have. Now that was a much stronger feeling before they got a new GM and coach...but you still have that near decade of time where the Packers really dropped the ball. The new front office still took Love, a move that still had a huge part of the fanbase irate despite a similar situation at the end of the Favre era taking place and working out.

 

I think it would be even more lopsided in Rodgers favor if the Favre situation wasn't a thing in the past.

[Fear The Chorizo]

After watching whatever that was on espn last night, I would be fascinated listening to an interview with rodgers' family, who he largely alienated. I'd imagine many of the issues Rodgers has conjured up are the same between the Packers front office and his fam...

 

Dude comes off as a narcissistic headcase. He wants to be Brady but doesn't realize his own personality runs opposite of Brady's. And I think losing to Brady at home in the NFCCG has driven him nuts.

[pacopete4]

It is amazing that a company hasn't offered enough money to the Rodgers family to have that sitdown.

[Fear The Chorizo]

Might as well just jump to about the 7:20 mark as the beginning is typical ESPN nonsense.

 

 

"A lot of this was put in motion last year and the wrench was just kind of thrown into it when I won MVP."

 

What happened last year could be any one of a number of things, anything from Love getting drafted to Kumerow getting axed. But when he talks about a wrench getting thrown in when he won the MVP, that seems to indicate that his contract has a lot to do with this.

 

Mahomes makes 45 million per year and Rodgers deal is at 33.5 million per year. Packers probably going to have to give him a huge raise to make him happy. Really wish he would have thrown his little fit a couple weeks before the draft, would have been much easier to deal him then because they would known exactly what they would be getting back in the 2021 Draft.

 

And if this is about money that's ridiculous. If you're hurt about other guys making more than you, get over yourself. That has always been a thing. You get a new contract, you're the top dog for a little bit and then after a couple years your contract is outdated and other guys end up getting bigger deals. If you don't like it then sign 1 year deals rather than mutli year deals with big guarantees.

 

He didn't seem to have much issue with his contract or salary after a couple lackluster seasons in '18 and '19.

 

Keep in mind there is a 1st ballot HOF qb who has never been close to being the highest paid player in the league at his position. That qb also has 7 rings, and I think those two facts are linked.

[reillymcshane]

The thing about this whole situation is that Rodgers obviously does not trust Gute and Murphy - and hasn't for a while. So I'll fault the front office (mostly) for not mending those bridges. Your QB is the most important person on your team. He doesn't trust you? Well, figure it out. Figure out who and what you can do to create that trust - even if it is a tenuous bridge.

 

From what I've read, Rodgers doesn't feel there's anyone in the front office that he can trust. That's a foolish thing to let exist in this situation. It should have been addressed ages ago.

 

I'm not absolving Rodgers from his part in this saga. But can't believe management let things deteriorate to this point.

[MrTPlush]

Yah, Rodgers may be a piece of work, but many former players have understood where Rodgers is coming from because of what you said Reilly. The Packers are trying to manage the team like the players are more like robots, not people. That really just doesn't fly in sports today and was a big fail on the Packers part. It simply should never have gotten to this point.

 

Too late to go back and do it differently though. Both sides need to figure it out and get on with it. I am not sure who or why it is dragging out (journalists seem unsure themselves), but figure it out.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

It probably helps Rodgers is upset for a lot of the same reasons Packers fans are upset with the Packers front office.

 

There has always been a belief the Packers have wasted Rodgers career and didn't treat him the way they should have. Now that was a much stronger feeling before they got a new GM and coach...but you still have that near decade of time where the Packers really dropped the ball. The new front office still took Love, a move that still had a huge part of the fanbase irate despite a similar situation at the end of the Favre era taking place and working out.

 

I think it would be even more lopsided in Rodgers favor if the Favre situation wasn't a thing in the past.

 

You're correct, but most of this is holdover from Ted Thompson who hasn't been in charge for years now. The argument that BK has sat on his hands and let Rodgers carry the team, which is an argument that exists, has no leg to stand on.

[tmwiese55]

Yea, pretty clearly BK has done a very good job as GM since he took over. Likely with one huge mistake, but overall he's done a great job since taking over. Seems to be some implication of not great interpersonal skills though in some leaks and in things Rodgers said yesterday. You see this in a lot of businesses where a very high up manager/owner/boss views the more ground level people as numbers on a spreadsheet rather than people or valuing their input. Certainly would apply to my company, new executive management team that's certainly done a better job than previous, but come off in a very bad or worse way than previous in regards to how they look at the people on teh floor. This just is a different level when dealing with all millionaires and celebrity types.

 

But really stuff like that should be easily worked or have someone else be the voice or go between in certain situations, idk. It should never have gotten to this point.

 

Oh also, I think the wrench comment he made last night wasn't exactly about since I won MVP I need more money. I think he meant it was a wrench in their plan to get rid of him. Basically I played so well their plan to fire me after 2021 got blown up. But I'm sure some combination of the two is probably most accurate.

[MrTPlush]

It probably helps Rodgers is upset for a lot of the same reasons Packers fans are upset with the Packers front office.

 

There has always been a belief the Packers have wasted Rodgers career and didn't treat him the way they should have. Now that was a much stronger feeling before they got a new GM and coach...but you still have that near decade of time where the Packers really dropped the ball. The new front office still took Love, a move that still had a huge part of the fanbase irate despite a similar situation at the end of the Favre era taking place and working out.

 

I think it would be even more lopsided in Rodgers favor if the Favre situation wasn't a thing in the past.

 

You're correct, but most of this is holdover from Ted Thompson who hasn't been in charge for years now. The argument that BK has sat on his hands and let Rodgers carry the team, which is an argument that exists, has no leg to stand on.

 

Sure, I did point that out and agree. However, I do think the Love pick bridged that same feeling to the new management a bit. Fans thought it was a waste then Rodgers went out and kind of confirmed that to people upset with the pick.

 

Coming up short in the NFCCG, trading up to use your top pick on a QB, and then coming up short in the NFCCG game again is somewhat brutal. Especially when the QB you already had won the MVP. That gave people the same feeling with the the current management as they did with Thompson. Waste top picks, come up short in the playoffs, and waste another year of an elite future HOF QB. Not saying it’s total justified to be considered that or compared to the prior 10 years...but I see why people make that connection.

[PeaveyFury]

The thing about this whole situation is that Rodgers obviously does not trust Gute and Murphy - and hasn't for a while. So I'll fault the front office (mostly) for not mending those bridges. Your QB is the most important person on your team. He doesn't trust you? Well, figure it out. Figure out who and what you can do to create that trust - even if it is a tenuous bridge.

 

From what I've read, Rodgers doesn't feel there's anyone in the front office that he can trust.

 

What 'trust' has been broken? Why doesn't he trust them? Why does he need to 'trust' them?

[PeaveyFury]

Yah, Rodgers may be a piece of work, but many former players have understood where Rodgers is coming from because of what you said Reilly. The Packers are trying to manage the team like the players are more like robots, not people. That really just doesn't fly in sports today and was a big fail on the Packers part.

 

Couldn't disagree more. I've long envied the Packers' ability to move on and make the hard choices that the fans hate. How many guys left where there was a huge outcry, only for us to find out that the FO had correctly evaluated that they were toast? Jennings, Nelson, Sitton, etc etc etc.

 

It's the fans (and likely the players in some ways to, hence Rodgers' comments about 'people') that want the team to run like their Madden Franchise Mode. When you manage that way, you give out bad contracts that you regret. Somewhat like giving Yelich a huge fanboy-like extension that seems like a horrible idea less than two years later...

[reillymcshane]

The thing about this whole situation is that Rodgers obviously does not trust Gute and Murphy - and hasn't for a while. So I'll fault the front office (mostly) for not mending those bridges. Your QB is the most important person on your team. He doesn't trust you? Well, figure it out. Figure out who and what you can do to create that trust - even if it is a tenuous bridge.

 

From what I've read, Rodgers doesn't feel there's anyone in the front office that he can trust.

 

What 'trust' has been broken? Why doesn't he trust them? Why does he need to 'trust' them?

I'm kind of surprised this is even a question - in particular the last one.

 

Who doesn't want to trust their boss? Who doesn't want to go to work and feel as if they will be supported like they want and expect?

 

No one knows the specifics except for Rodgers and the Packers. But trust tends to erode when people are lied to or deceived. When things are altered beyond what was anticipated. When actions taken erode a person's ability to do their job.

 

Again, I don't know what has gone on between Rodgers and the front office. But it appears he doesn't trust them. Perhaps it's all in his head. But maybe he has experienced some of the above things.

[MrTPlush]

Yah, Rodgers may be a piece of work, but many former players have understood where Rodgers is coming from because of what you said Reilly. The Packers are trying to manage the team like the players are more like robots, not people. That really just doesn't fly in sports today and was a big fail on the Packers part.

 

Couldn't disagree more. I've long envied the Packers' ability to move on and make the hard choices that the fans hate. How many guys left where there was a huge outcry, only for us to find out that the FO had correctly evaluated that they were toast? Jennings, Nelson, Sitton, etc etc etc.

 

It's the fans (and likely the players in some ways to, hence Rodgers' comments about 'people') that want the team to run like their Madden Franchise Mode. When you manage that way, you give out bad contracts that you regret. Somewhat like giving Yelich a huge fanboy-like extension that seems like a horrible idea less than two years later...

 

Just saying that type of management style doesn’t fly with players more and more these days. Especially when said player makes or breaks your entire franchises ability to win a championship. That’s pretty applicable to NBA stars and NFL QBs.

[PeaveyFury]

Who doesn't want to trust their boss? Who doesn't want to go to work and feel as if they will be supported like they want and expect?

 

I guess the heart of my question is, what does 'trust' consist of in his eyes? How does a lack of whatever that is actually impact him as he plays QB for the Packers?

 

I think the issue is that 'trust' in Rodgers' eyes likely means 'they're not making the personnel moves I want them to make,' or, perhaps more likely, I want a big contract extension. None of those things have anything to do with 'trust,' IMO. That's just an employee complaining.

[PeaveyFury]

Just saying that type of management style doesn’t fly with players more and more these days. Especially when said player makes or breaks your entire franchises ability to win a championship. That’s pretty applicable to NBA stars and NFL QBs.

 

Perhaps. But again, that's how you comically end up with the Joe Flaccos and Tony Romos of the QB world as the highest paid QBs in the league for a time.

[xisxisxis]

Has anyone posting here worked with/for a narcissist?

 

I have. They are experts on EVERY topic. They know what's best for everything and even if you have 10 people in the room and 9 disagree with the narcissist they will argue even louder that they are correct. And if you make that decision against their input, you better believe it will be revisited over and over again even if it wasn't a mistake. If it was a mistake, oh my god, it will never die as it will be brought up over and over again. Sound familiar.

 

Trust? The only person a narcissist trusts is themselves and they will trust others only as long as they agree with them 100% of the time. For Rodgers, he trusts his representation because they will agree with him that water is dry, the sky is orange and his crap tastes great. Put a narcissist into a "democratic" or management structure where they are only 1 of many voices and they will be unhappy no matter what. They want to be GOD, EMPEROR, and the only voice in the room.

 

The breaking point was Jake Kumerow? The guy who can't keep a roster spot on any team? That guy? That's the type of decision a narcissist will argue about while the rest of us realize he isn't worth the ATP... And a narcissist will argue about the most insignificant decision as much as the most significant decision because everyone is supposed to ALWAYS do what they want. Because they are the smartest person in the universe and the center of the universe.

 

Sure, a good manager might try to placate them until they realize that they are a black hole and no matter what you feed the beast, they just grow bigger and needier and require more and more and more and more and more. There is no throwing them the entire carcass and expecting them to be appeased. They will just complain you didn't do it fast enough. You didn't ask them if they were happy. You didn't stroke their ego every second of every day.

 

Cut bait and move on. There's no winning with a narcissist who feels slighted. It is a never ending downward spiral...

[adambr2]

Aaron Jones was asked today about Rodgers not returning and in contrast to Adams saying he might have to re-think his future in Green Bay if Rodgers is gone, Jones said it wouldn't have influenced him re-signing one way or the other.

[tmwiese55]

Yah, Rodgers may be a piece of work, but many former players have understood where Rodgers is coming from because of what you said Reilly. The Packers are trying to manage the team like the players are more like robots, not people. That really just doesn't fly in sports today and was a big fail on the Packers part.

 

Couldn't disagree more. I've long envied the Packers' ability to move on and make the hard choices that the fans hate. How many guys left where there was a huge outcry, only for us to find out that the FO had correctly evaluated that they were toast? Jennings, Nelson, Sitton, etc etc etc.

 

It's the fans (and likely the players in some ways to, hence Rodgers' comments about 'people') that want the team to run like their Madden Franchise Mode. When you manage that way, you give out bad contracts that you regret. Somewhat like giving Yelich a huge fanboy-like extension that seems like a horrible idea less than two years later...

 

Good points here i think. This seems to align with what Rodgers is hinting at and lines up a bit. He seems to be chummiest with o lineman and WRs (obviously) and think how many over the years the team has made tough choice to let them leave instead of getting into an expensive contract with an aging player. Lots of OL (correct on pretty much all), Nelson, Cobb, Kumerow (eye roll) and they've been correct on those too. But for him these are his people and the team is making shrewd/smart moves rather than being 'loyal'. And then in his mind, it looked like they were lining up to do the same thing to him after 2021.