Report: Rodgers Wants Out of Green Bay

[Donzo]

17 minutes ago, wgbeethree said:

I'll never be mad at an employee for wanting to be happy. I'll never get mad at an employer for trying to run a business the best they see fit. 

As a Rodgers fan I'm a little disappointed. As a Packers fan I'm a little disappointed. 

I get both sides. 

Good stuff.

[Leader]

Bill Huber / SI - Coming off a loss in the NFC Championship Game, Gutekunst could have zeroed in on instant-impact players in the draft. Instead, he drafted Rodgers’ presumed successor, Jordan Love, with the first-round pick. To be sure, Rodgers was coming off two less-than-stellar seasons. With a massive contract and back-to-back seasons ranked 26th and 21st in completion percentage, it was fair to wonder if Rodgers was in a state of serious decline.

Still, from the team’s perspective, the timing was all wrong. While the contenders all got better through the draft, Green Bay’s precious No. 1 pick was inactive for every game. From Rodgers’ perspective, it was the cold realization that his future was out of his control.

“What I can control is how I play and making that decision at some point a very hard one,” he said a few weeks after the 2020 draft. “You know, if I were to retire in the organization’s timetable, then it’s an easy decision. But if there comes a time where I feel like I can still play at a high level and my body feels great, you know, then there’s other guys that have gone on and played elsewhere.”

Rodgers, of course, turned back the clock in 2020. He led the NFL in passer rating, completion percentage, touchdown percentage and interception percentage en route to his third MVP.

Rodgers did his part to secure his future by showing that he remains among the best quarterbacks in the game. The Packers, however, did nothing. No different than the moment Love was drafted, the logical point of division between Rodgers and the Packers would come after the 2021 season. That’s when Green Bay could get out of Rodgers’ contract, save big on the salary cap and hand the offense to Love. That would give Love a full season as the starter so Gutekunst could make an informed decision on Love’s lucrative fifth-year option.

A big, bold restructure of Rodgers’ contract, from his perspective, would have been a win-win. The Packers needed the cap space to add players to a roster that wasn’t quite good enough to get past Tampa Bay in the NFC Championship Game. By turning Rodgers’ roster bonus and base salary into signing bonus, the team would have had cap money for 2021 and Rodgers would have had job security for 2022 via the salary cap.

Instead, the Packers restructured several contracts to get below the cap and left Rodgers’ contract untouched.

To Rodgers, the signal was clear. The team wasnt committed to him. So, he wouldnt be committed to the team.

With the face of the franchise fuming, Gutekunst and Murphy stated the team's commitment this weekend. From Rodgers’ view, it’s too late. What good are the cap dollars going to do with the impact free agents off the market for weeks?

So, the Packers’ blunder in the 2020 draft started the fire. And the media leaks in the 2021 draft via Rodgers/his people have acted as a tanker car filled with gasoline.

Maybe Rodgers’ plan is to act so childish and spiteful that the team will say screw it and dump him. It’s a horrific look for one of the most popular athletes the state has ever seen. That Rodgers (or his people) went public with Rodgers’ desire for Gutekunst to be replaced is stunning given the quarterback’s typically measured approach.

 

[MuFF]

"Instead, the Packers restructured several contracts to get below the cap and left Rodgers’ contract untouched. To Rodgers, the signal was clear. The team wasnt committed to him. So, he wouldnt be committed to the team." 

This appears to be false, and the reason Rodger's contract hasn't been restructured is BECAUSE of his unhappiness, not a cause of it. Based on Gute's comments, it appears Rodgers wants a NEW contract -- something that's pretty unprecedented in the NFL with 3 years left on a contract.

[Cpdaly23]

5 minutes ago, MuFF said:

"Instead, the Packers restructured several contracts to get below the cap and left Rodgers’ contract untouched. To Rodgers, the signal was clear. The team wasnt committed to him. So, he wouldnt be committed to the team." 

This appears to be false, and the reason Rodger's contract hasn't been restructured is BECAUSE of his unhappiness, not a cause of it. Based on Gute's comments, it appears Rodgers wants a NEW contract -- something that's pretty unprecedented in the NFL with 3 years left on a contract.

Especially when you consider they renegotiated his deal in 2018 despite having FOUR YEARS of potential control...

[minnypackerfan]

16 minutes ago, Leader said:

Bill Huber / SI - Coming off a loss in the NFC Championship Game, Gutekunst could have zeroed in on instant-impact players in the draft. Instead, he drafted Rodgers’ presumed successor, Jordan Love, with the first-round pick. To be sure, Rodgers was coming off two less-than-stellar seasons. With a massive contract and back-to-back seasons ranked 26th and 21st in completion percentage, it was fair to wonder if Rodgers was in a state of serious decline.

Still, from the team’s perspective, the timing was all wrong. While the contenders all got better through the draft, Green Bay’s precious No. 1 pick was inactive for every game. From Rodgers’ perspective, it was the cold realization that his future was out of his control.

“What I can control is how I play and making that decision at some point a very hard one,” he said a few weeks after the 2020 draft. “You know, if I were to retire in the organization’s timetable, then it’s an easy decision. But if there comes a time where I feel like I can still play at a high level and my body feels great, you know, then there’s other guys that have gone on and played elsewhere.”

Rodgers, of course, turned back the clock in 2020. He led the NFL in passer rating, completion percentage, touchdown percentage and interception percentage en route to his third MVP.

Rodgers did his part to secure his future by showing that he remains among the best quarterbacks in the game. The Packers, however, did nothing. No different than the moment Love was drafted, the logical point of division between Rodgers and the Packers would come after the 2021 season. That’s when Green Bay could get out of Rodgers’ contract, save big on the salary cap and hand the offense to Love. That would give Love a full season as the starter so Gutekunst could make an informed decision on Love’s lucrative fifth-year option.

A big, bold restructure of Rodgers’ contract, from his perspective, would have been a win-win. The Packers needed the cap space to add players to a roster that wasn’t quite good enough to get past Tampa Bay in the NFC Championship Game. By turning Rodgers’ roster bonus and base salary into signing bonus, the team would have had cap money for 2021 and Rodgers would have had job security for 2022 via the salary cap.

Instead, the Packers restructured several contracts to get below the cap and left Rodgers’ contract untouched.

To Rodgers, the signal was clear. The team wasnt committed to him. So, he wouldnt be committed to the team.

With the face of the franchise fuming, Gutekunst and Murphy stated the team's commitment this weekend. From Rodgers’ view, it’s too late. What good are the cap dollars going to do with the impact free agents off the market for weeks?

So, the Packers’ blunder in the 2020 draft started the fire. And the media leaks in the 2021 draft via Rodgers/his people have acted as a tanker car filled with gasoline.

Maybe Rodgers’ plan is to act so childish and spiteful that the team will say screw it and dump him. It’s a horrific look for one of the most popular athletes the state has ever seen. That Rodgers (or his people) went public with Rodgers’ desire for Gutekunst to be replaced is stunning given the quarterback’s typically measured approach.

 

From what I have read, Huber has it partially right.  Here is what I've heard.

I've read that the Packers approached him three to four months ago and asked him to restructure his contract.  He declined to restructure his contract (and was probably mad that they did not immediately offer him an extension). 

Then, they approached him again (how much later I do not know), with an extension.  Apparently the terms were not to his liking and so he declined again.  (Would be interesting to hear what the offer to extend actually was and what if any, counter offer Dunn made back to the Packers).   

On the Roster bonus due in March, the team did not need his permission to convert his roster bonus in March, but he objected to that idea when they told him so they did not do it.

Somehow during this period, other teams were learning of the discord between the parties so first the Rams and then the 49'ers reached out to the Packers and inquired about Rodgers.  The Rams reached out way back in February, the 49'ers just a week or two ago.  Now how 2 west coast teams would even think to ask the Packers about Rodgers (which is where he wants to live), well it does not take much to add up where that came from.....Dunn.  Rodgers knew of the 49'ers offer and apparently was pissed that the Packers did not take it and told them so.

Once other teams know of the discord, its impossible to keep it totally quiet.  But my bet is that Dunn started this whole ball a rolling.   Its what agents do.  I doubt that Packers leaked this as what was their motivation.  Dunn on the other hand does this for a living.  Rodgers just hoped it would it would never come back to him...ruins the image he is attempting to cultivate.

[SSG]

6 minutes ago, MuFF said:

"Instead, the Packers restructured several contracts to get below the cap and left Rodgers’ contract untouched. To Rodgers, the signal was clear. The team wasnt committed to him. So, he wouldnt be committed to the team." 

This appears to be false, and the reason Rodger's contract hasn't been restructured is BECAUSE of his unhappiness, not a cause of it. Based on Gute's comments, it appears Rodgers wants a NEW contract -- something that's pretty unprecedented in the NFL with 3 years left on a contract.

Might look false NOW but might not have been false early in the offseason.  I absolutely don't believe that an extension for Rodgers was anything they had any interest in early in the offseason or ever.  I believe that management is in panic or damage control mode.  

[spilltray]

I have a major complaint on the framing of the narrative. Drafting Love was not a mistake. Before last season, there was serious discussion if Rodgers was even a top 10 QB anymore. It was a smart move to protect the future. Then there is the notion that ANY rookie drafted 26 or later last year was going to have any significant impact on the season is just silly. After all that, Aaron Rodgers is under contract for 3 more seasons. There is no reason to give a 38 year old qb with that contract an extension. The plan to wait and see another year or two is the smart business decision. I can't even fathom why you'd give him more years at this point other than him throwing a tantrum.

[Donzo]

1 minute ago, MuFF said:

The reason Rodger's contract hasn't been restructured is BECAUSE of his unhappiness, not a cause of it.

Based on Gute's comments, it appears Rodgers wants a NEW contract -- something that's pretty unprecedented in the NFL with 3 years left on a contract.

All completely wrong.

The Packers chose not to restructure ARs contract to create cap space in 2021. They didn't need ARs permision to gaurentee his 2021 bonus and salary.

How did AR want a new contarct?  The talk I've seen is for a restructured contract with new terms, just like 150 other NFL players did this year.

 

 

[minnypackerfan]

2 minutes ago, spilltray said:

I have a major complaint on the framing of the narrative. Drafting Love was not a mistake. Before last season, there was serious discussion if Rodgers was even a top 10 QB anymore. It was a smart move to protect the future. Then there is the notion that ANY rookie drafted 26 or later last year was going to have any significant impact on the season is just silly. After all that, Aaron Rodgers is under contract for 3 more seasons. There is no reason to give a 38 year old qb with that contract an extension. The plan to wait and see another year or two is the smart business decision. I can't even fathom why you'd give him more years at this point other than him throwing a tantrum.

That makes total sense from the Packers point of view, but does not consider the views of the other party and how he might feel and how he might react to their moves.  My goodness...if they could not figure out what type of person Rodgers was before these moves and how he might react, that's just poor people management.  A good manager knows this stuff.

[spilltray]

Just now, minnypackerfan said:

That makes total sense from the Packers point of view, but does not consider the views of the other party and how he might feel and how he might react to their moves.  My goodness...if they could not figure out what type of person Rodgers was before these moves and how he might react, that's just poor people management.  A good manager knows this stuff.

He reacted by taking it seriously and lighting a fire under his bottom. I don't think Rodgers goes back to MVP form without a potential replacement added.

[ccecilnosebleed]

1 minute ago, minnypackerfan said:

That makes total sense from the Packers point of view, but does not consider the views of the other party and how he might feel and how he might react to their moves.  My goodness...if they could not figure out what type of person Rodgers was before these moves and how he might react, that's just poor people management.  A good manager knows this stuff.

I heard Andrew Brandt make an interesting comment on this the other day, essentially saying often these GM types (referring to Gutey) are incredible football evaluators, but not so good when it comes to their people skills. 
 

That would seem to line up.

[Leader]

5 minutes ago, spilltray said:

I have a major complaint on the framing of the narrative. Drafting Love was not a mistake. Before last season, there was serious discussion if Rodgers was even a top 10 QB anymore.

I agree.

As Huber writes: "With a massive contract and back-to-back seasons ranked 26th and 21st in completion percentage, it was fair to wonder if Rodgers was in a state of serious decline"

One of the most accurate passers went from that to chucking the ball into the stands or into the ground - bypassing the offensive schemes while running a SB winning (and one of the winning-est active HCs) publicly and privately into the ground and out of town - which - prompted Murphy to warn AR "not to be the problem" after the signing of MLF.

ARs hands aren't clean here.

[Leader]

2 minutes ago, spilltray said:

He reacted by taking it seriously and lighting a fire under his bottom. I don't think Rodgers goes back to MVP form without a potential replacement added.

Agreed.

[MuFF]

2 minutes ago, Donzo said:

All completely wrong.

The Packers chose not to restructure ARs contract to create cap space in 2021. They didn't need ARs permision to gaurentee his 2021 bonus and salary.

How did AR want a new contarct?  The talk I've seen is for a restructured contract with new terms, just like 150 other NFL players did this year.

Yesterday MLF  refused to say when Rodgers unhappiness first manifested itself -- of course it's all speculation, but my hunch is that Rodgers thought winning an MVP warranted a no-trade clause, or some other sort of contractual commit from the packers. 

Not restructuring his contract is such a minor detail here - most people thought Rodgers contract would be used as a "piggy bank" this season, continually restructured to make room for the Veldheer/Snacks/Tavon Austin signings of the world.

I seriously doubt Rodgers is this upset about not moving his cap hit in the future -- something that literally does not effect his pay 1 penny. I equally doubt the Packers wouldn't quickly acquiesce to pushing a few million into 2022 - something that would've almost certainly had to be done throughout the season, anyway. 

[minnypackerfan]

6 minutes ago, Donzo said:

All completely wrong.

The Packers chose not to restructure ARs contract to create cap space in 2021. They didn't need ARs permision to gaurentee his 2021 bonus and salary.

How did AR want a new contarct?  The talk I've seen is for a restructured contract with new terms, just like 150 other NFL players did this year.

 

 

He wanted the Packers to show their commitment to him by offering him an EXTENSION of the contract.  They did not do that at first, they only offered a restructure and apparently it may have made him very unhappy.  Its been reported they then offered him an extension...but by then...he may have been too mad at the team.  

Murphy and Gute should have known better what type of individual they were dealing with.  The approach was wrong in my opinion.  A restructure looked self serving in his view as they could still get rid of him next year...he wanted a commitment and did not get it.