Packers: Twitter reacts to Aaron Rodgers trade drama
Well, that escalated quickly. From the Green Bay Packers saying they remain committed to a future with Aaron Rodgers, to now ESPN’s Adam Schefter reporting that Rodgers wants out.
It’s been a wild day already and the draft hasn’t even started yet.
Will Rodgers be on the move? Won’t he? Should the Packers have traded up for Jordan Love? Have they made a huge mistake? So many questions that it’s easy to forget that later tonight, the Packers will be adding a player to the roster in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
Where this story will end is anybody’s guess. There’s so much to digest with Rodgers’ future but, as ever, Twitter has weighed in on the report by Schefter.
As NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported, Rodgers refused a contract restructure and wanted an extension. When the Packers eventually offered him an extension, there was no deal. Wow.
Over the last month, Aaron Rodgers had his agent Dave Dunn fly out to Green Bay for several days of meetings to work through the situation. Rodgers refused a restructure. Wanted an extension. Teams called knowing he wasn’t happy. GB rebuffed them. Offered an extension. No deal.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 29, 2021
After trading up for Jordan Love a year ago, the Packers can only blame themselves for this mess.
And for anyone confused as to why this is happening, this is what happens when you trade up to draft a quarterback in the first round with four years left on Aaron Rodgers' contract. He did a pretty good job of biting his tongue for the past year.
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) April 29, 2021
However, there’s another way to look at it. Packers salary cap expert Ken Ingalls made a great point about Rodgers’ contract situation.
Aaron Rodgers has played 1 year of his 4 year contract extension and is upset the Packers won't commit to him.
— Ken Ingalls - Packers Cap 💰 (@KenIngalls) April 29, 2021
Unfortunately though, Zach Kruse of Packers Wire makes a great point.
Aaron Rodgers is way too smart to try and two-sides this thing. Dropping a nuke on draft day definitely isn't the way to angle for some mega extension. He's never had more leverage. I fear this really is over.
— Zach Kruse (@zachkruse2) April 29, 2021
One thing we all need to consider is how it would impact the salary cap. Can the Packers even justify trading Rodgers considering what it would mean for their cap in 2021? Here’s the breakdown by ESPN’s Field Yates.
Aaron Rodgers' current contract:
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) April 29, 2021
2021 salary: $14.7M
2022 salary: $25M
2023 salary: $25M
Annual workout bonuses of $500K.
If traded before June 1, Green Bay would incur $31.556M in dead money in 2021.
After June 1: $14.32M in 2021, more in 2022.
But is it about just a contract? Or is there more to it? Aaron Rodgers has had multiple opportunities to commit to his future with the team, but the fact he hasn’t is particularly telling.
Aaron Rodgers has had multiple opportunities in interviews to say he's committed to the #Packers. A tweet would've done it.
— Lombardi Ave (@lombardiave) April 29, 2021
Now we know why he hasn't taken that opportunity.
Here’s a great point from Cheesehead TV’s Andy Herman.
In hindsight, who would have thought the quarterback who took literally everything as a slight and used it for motivation would have been upset by the Packers trading up and selecting a quarterback in the first round. Should it be that way? No. But it definitely feels that way.
— Andy Herman (@AndyHermanNFL) April 29, 2021
But regardless of what happens next with Rodgers, remember that none of this is Jordan Love’s fault, just as it wasn’t Rodgers’ fault when Brett Favre was traded.
Whatever happens, be nice to Jordan Love pls
— Game On Wisconsin (@gameonwi) April 29, 2021
What are your thoughts?