Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers, when asked about a possible trade, gave a long and curious answer with an unexpected reference to Jordan Love.
Aaron Rodgers to Kenny Mayne tonight: “I love the coaching staff, love my teammates, love the fan base in Green Bay…It’s just kind of about a philosophy and maybe forgetting that it is about the people that make the thing go.”
Full answer when asked if he’s demanding a trade: pic.twitter.com/F4aqndiYPx
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) May 25, 2021
There are two big newsworthy components to this comment by Rodgers. One is that he very clearly evaded the subject. His answer amounts to a declaration of all the items which can be rejected as reasons for a possible trade. He did not shoot down the idea that a trade was possible, however. If his Packers teammates, coaches and fans are all enjoyable parts of his experience in Green Bay, one can do the quick math and arrive at the obvious conclusion that Rodgers is still very unhappy with the front office, particularly general manager Brian Gutekunst.
The second noteworthy aspect of these comments is the more interesting one, because it doesn't fit the pervasive understanding of the issue by outside observers. The conventional wisdom — the prevailing line of thought on this soap opera with the Packers — is that the Jordan Love pick really rankled Aaron Rodgers. However, in these comments, No. 12 pushed back against that notion.
Is Rodgers trying to voice his displeasure with the Packers and Gutekunst on a broader general level, criticizing the overall inability to surround him with championship pieces but not laying the blame primarily on the wasted Jordan Love selection? Is Rodgers venting his frustrations that Green Bay hasn't been to the Super Bowl in a full decade? How much daylight exists between those two questions? Are they similar enough to render these minor distinctions irrelevant, or is there a very specific nuance to this drama which outsiders aren't seeing yet?
If the Jordan Love pick isn't a problem but Rodgers thinks the front office IS a problem, this deepens the mystery of the situation rather than clarifying it and making it easier to resolve. In the meantime, the Packers live in uncertainty relative to Rodgers, with summer training camp roughly two months away.
Everyone in the NFL is waiting to see if this plot point gets resolved before Week 1 in September. Whether Rodgers plays for the Packers in 2021 is the foremost mystery attached to the NFC's current balance of power. If Rodgers either retires or gets traded to an AFC team, an NFC West club — either the San Francisco 49ers or Los Angeles Rams — would become the preseason favorite to win the NFC title.
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