Packers: Brett Favre reveals text message with Aaron Rodgers

Brett Favre revealed a text message exchange he had with Aaron Rodgers during the first night of the NFL draft on the “Wilde & Tausch” radio show and feels strongly that the current Green Bay Packers signal-caller won’t be coming back.

Favre talked for 45 minutes, giving insight into the Rodgers situation, what he went through in 2008 during his divorce with the Packers and how both situations have some similarities.

After ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reported that Rodgers doesn’t want to return to Green Bay hours before the draft began, it began a flurry of texts Favre was receiving asking him what was going on with Rodgers.

According to Favre, he sent Rodgers a text: “I said, ‘Hey, am I going to see you playing for the Saints this year,’ just joking.” He said Rodgers replied: “Hey buddy, I don’t believe that’s going to happen. … Thanks for checking on me. I’ll touch base with you after this is all over.”

He later went on to say…”I think I know Aaron fairly well, and honestly, I just don’t see him coming back and saying ‘let’s just bury the hatchet and I’m going to come back and play.’ Will he just swallow his pride and come in? Maybe. But I don’t see that happened. If there’s not a trade, my gut tells me he’d rather sit out and play. That’s just my gut. I think you guys know Aaron fairly well enough to feel the same way.”

As each day goes by, more reports come out about Rodgers’s lengthy list of issues with GM Brian Gutekunst and the Packers front office. He was unhappy with the drafting of Jordan Love, his potential future replacement, and the release of Jake Kumerow a day after he publicly praised the practice squad wide receiver.

The most recent reports by Bob McGinn of The Athletic says Rodgers taunted Gutekunst in a group chat with teammates as Jerry Krause. Also, Mike Garafolo said on the NFL Network, “Aaron Rodgers was telling Packers’ perspective free agents, basically before you make any decisions I am probably not going to be here.”

Rodgers was drafted with the 24th pick in 2005 to be the eventual replacement for Favre — a three-time MVP like Rodgers — and it took three years before Favre was eventually traded to the New York Jets after he retired and unretired. Rodgers and Favre have amended their relationship in recent years and have become friends after the rocky start they had together before Favre’s departure from Green Bay.

Favre would go on to say in the interview: “I don’t know what Aaron’s beef is. I find it hard to believe they’re at the odds they are presently over drafting a quarterback last year and not drafting a skill player to help him out.”

Nobody knows what Rodgers is thinking because he hasn’t said anything publicly about the situation. He is reportedly considering retirement, but could also hold out or demand a trade from Green Bay.