Packers: Aaron Rodgers is ‘selfish’, ‘teammates don’t like him’, says ex-GM
For a team only a game away from the Super Bowl in each of the past two seasons, having their MVP quarterback hold out over the summer is the last thing they need. But that’s the situation the Green Bay Packers find themselves in with Aaron Rodgers.
With Rodgers no-showing mandatory minicamp earlier this month, the question now is whether he’ll be in attendance at the beginning of training camp in July. How close are we to a resolution?
The longer it goes on, the worse for everyone involved. It becomes a distraction for the Packers, who continue to prepare for the regular season without knowing who will be their starting quarterback in September.
In his latest column for FanSided, Matt Lombardo had some fascinating quotes from a former NFL GM, who called Rodgers “selfish”.
"“The guy’s selfish,” a former NFL general manager tells FanSided. “Teammates don’t like him. Coaches don’t like him. It’s all about Aaron.“They all deal with him, because he’s a superstar. He helps guys make money and put food on the table for their kids, and people respect him for that.”"
Don’t you just wish he’d tell us how he really feels?
It’s a strong take but an interesting one. There’s no doubt that the longer Rodgers sits out and there’s no resolution to this situation, the worse for him and the team. If Rodgers ends up playing this year, he’d have less preparation time.
It also leaves the Packers’ coaches and players uncertain on the status of their most important player and reigning NFL MVP.
Trading Rodgers remains an option, but the Packers would need to change their stance on being open to a move, and they’d need to find a trade partner willing to give them what they want in return.
Packers president Mark Murphy sure didn’t help matters by publicly calling Rodgers a “complicated fella”, just days after writing in his column for Packers.com that “the less both sides say publicly, the better”. Sticking to your own advice may have been helpful there, Mark.
Regardless, this situation appears to still be a mess, and that’s not ideal less than three months out from the regular season.