When a team moves on from a franchise quarterback it sometimes signals the start of a rebuild. That isn't the case for the Green Bay Packers, at least in the eyes of Packers running back Aaron Jones.
Jones called out those who think Green Bay is in a rebuilding stage after trading Aaron Rodgers.
“If you think we're in a rebuild then you got the wrong team, wrong place,” Jones said. “We know what people are saying, but everybody has an opinion and most of them stink.”
The Packers didn't need a rebuild the last time they moved on from their longtime quarterback. After Brett Favre left in 2008, Green Bay went 6-10 that season before making eight straight trips to the playoffs, including a Super Bowl victory.
The Packers missed the playoffs for the first time since 2018 last season with Rodgers at the helm. They made the postseason in 11 of Rodgers' 15 seasons as the starting QB.
It shouldn't surprise anyone if the Packers think they can have the same sort of success with Jordan Love as their quarterback. Similarly to Rodgers, Love was taken by the Packers late in the first round of the draft and he sat behind a future Hall of Fame quarterback for three seasons before being handed the keys to the offense.
The Packers do have a talented roster and are two years removed from a 13-win season. With Jordan Love and Aaron Jones leading the way, the Packers could make some noise as an under-the-radar team in 2023.