For the first time since the season ended, Green Bay Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst met reporters to discuss how the end of the Aaron Rodgers era came about. He spoke to members of the media Monday afternoon at the NFL Meeting in Phoenix.
We heard from Rodgers back on March 15 when he emerged from his four day, isolation darkness retreat and appeared on the Pat McAfee show. Rodgers said he spent a week in Green Bay after the season ending loss to Detroit which denied the Packers a Wild Card spot. He met with both Gutekunst and Head Coach Matt LaFleur and was told then he could take his time before making any decisions about either returning to the team to play out the final two years of his contract which still owes him 100 million dollars, retire, or seek to continue his career elsewhere. Rodgers told McAfee’s audience he was 90% leaning toward retirement before his retreat but when he came out of it, something had changed. He felt the Packers went behind his back to begin shopping him to other teams after making the decision to move on from the four time Most Valuable Player and turn the reigns over to Jordan Love. He also learned it was the New York Jets who were interested in his services and he expressed his desire to play for Head Coach Robert Saleh and be reunited with his former offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. The Jets also signed wide receiver Allen Lazard to a four year contract just as free agency began.
Gutekunst spoke for about 17 minutes Monday and the vast majority of that conversation dealt with the drama surrounding his quarterback. The GM said after parting ways at the end of the regular season the team was very interested in continuing the dialogue over how both Rodgers and the team wanted to proceed. Gutekunst said “many calls” were placed to Rodgers but he never responded. As the off-season moved into February with no contact, Gutekunst said the organization came to the realization it was time to move on without him so the GM got in touch with the quarterback’s representation to discuss possibilities. Gutekunst admitted he was disappointed Rodgers wasn’t more accessible during this time and while he wasn’t happy with the quarterback’s penchant to lay out his narrative on the McAfee show, he said bluntly, “I had to do my job.”
The Jets are the only team with serious trade intentions with Saleh telling reporters he’s confident a deal will eventually get worked out and there’s no pressing timetable to get him in the fold.
Gutekunst said he’s had ongoing conversations with New York GM Joe Douglas but the two sides have yet to agree on compensation. Acquiring New York’s first round pick, number 13 overall, isn’t a priority according to Gutekunst but he does want fair value for one of the league’s top players even as he approaches 40 this December. Gutekunst also doesn’t have a deadline to complete the deal but a couple of important dates are out there. Primarily, this year’s draft at the end of April. Green Bay would like something in return for Rodgers playing this fall and perhaps a conditional pick in 2024 if he plays beyond this season. Financial considerations also come into play. Rodgers is due 59 million dollars this season and the Packers will be hard pressed to pay a big portion of that salary for Rodgers to play in New York. If the deal is struck before June 1, the Packers will have to absorb all 40 million dollars of dead cap money this year, making it next to impossible to sign free agents. After June first, a portion of that dead cap money can be forwarded into 2024 to lessen the financial hit.
Like any proceeding in divorce court, there are two sides to each story. Both Rodgers and Gutekunst have had their say over how this divorce came about and how it potentially will be resolved. If for some reason, the trade falls through, Gutekunst admitted it’s not out of the realm of possibility he could return to Green Bay this fall. He said Rodgers has put aside strong feelings against the organization in the past (remember the draft day declaration in 2021). The GM would rather move forward and while he wouldn’t say unequivocally that Love will be his opening day starter in 2023, things are certainly trending that way and it would be best for all parties to get the trade details resolved.
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