All of the speculation floating around that Aaron Rodgers is unhappy with the Green Bay organization were virtually confirmed when Rodgers failed to attend minicamp earlier this week. Rodgers’ absence leaves a lot of questions. The three biggest questions from this are what the Packers can do to fix the relationship, the future of the Packers under Jordan Love if Rodgers and Green Bay move on, and how this whole saga affects my Chicago Bears and the rest of the NFC North.
Everyone has their eyes on if Rodgers and the Packers can mend their differences, and if they can’t, there is the glaring question of where he will go next. Much of Aaron Rodgers’ reported frustration started when Jordan Love was drafted to be his successor without even consulting with him. Rodgers found out about his future replacement on draft night like the rest of us, which put a huge strain on his relationship with the team. He has also been reported to be unhappy with his contract and the team’s failure to commit to him long term. Based on the reports, the Packers front office has sent mixed messages and made some questionable decisions. They draft Jordan Love to be the future, yet reportedly offer him a long term extension. Rodgers has reportedly stated a desire for the team to draft a receiver to help him out, and although they finally drafted Amari Rodgers this season, their failure to do that in 2020 hurt them in the Tampa Bay game as there was no big play threat opposite Davante Adams. If the Packers want to fix it with Rodgers before it is too late, they need to decide they want to commit to him long term and be set in stone with their contract extension. Most importantly, the communication on both sides has to improve if they want to contend for another Super Bowl. Rodgers staying but becoming disgruntled hurts both parties.
If the Packers are unable to work it out with Rodgers, what’s next for him? If Rodgers were to be moved, the Broncos and Raiders have been mentioned as potential destinations. The Broncos would be a great fit for him, they have some young weapons in Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton and had a top 10 defense under Vic Fangio last season. They would give him the best chance to contend for a title right now. Rodgers would be battling for the division with Mahomes and Herbert, and while competing in the AFC West would be tough, it would be his best chance to compete right away on a new team.
What would the future of the NFC North look like? The outlook of the division would be very different from what it has been for years now. The Packers have committed to Jordan Love as the successor by stating they would not seek out a quarterback if Rodgers were to be traded, as reported by Adam Schefter. However, based on early reports from Packers training camp, Jordan Love has not been impressive. He has been reportedly missing easy throws, and the language the Packers have used to describe Jordan Love’s game is very similar to what we said about Mitch Trubisky, which is that Jordan Love is “improving,” but signing Blake Bortles as insurance and the desire to extend Rodgers long term isn’t exactly a sign of complete confidence in the young quarterback. Jordan Love was always a project player during the draft, and while the Packers have had success developing quarterbacks, I am not a believer in the hype. I believe that the Bears and Lions are going to fight to take over the division, as I believe they have the brightest futures. Justin Fields has looked very impressive in training camp, and has the most potential out of any quarterback the Bears have ever had. I may be a little biased but I got faith in Justin Fields and that he is going to rule the division for years to come. I also think the Lions improved a lot this offseason with their coaching staff and draft picks, and I think they will be a force to be reckoned with once they draft their guy at quarterback in 2022. I think the Packers and Vikings will no longer be the top dogs, as the Vikings have been battling mediocrity under Kirk Cousins and the Packers will not be the same with Jordan Love.
What are your thoughts on this whole situation? Let me know in the comments.