Aaron Rodgers & Green Bay Packers: Divorce is Inevitable

The once promising marriage between reigning NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers is now in shambles and all signs point towards Rodgers separating from Green Bay.

Albeit, it’s not Rodgers fault by any means. If anything, Green Bay brought this upon themselves when they blatantly disrespected Rodgers when they refused to take the veteran’s quarterback input in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Oh and let’s not forget when head coach Matt LaFleur basically stood up his franchise quarterback by deciding to kick a field goal instead of going for a touchdown with the Packers possessing the ball on the Tampa Bay eight-yard line and Green Bay trailing by eight points with two minutes and nine seconds remaining in the fourth quarter of the 2020 NFC Championship.

Granted, we will note that after the game Rodgers did admit that he understood LaFleur’s reasoning, but needless to say, he admitted that kicking the field goal “wasn’t his decision.”

Anyway, back to the present. Currently, there’s too many red flags in the now dysfunctional relationship between Rodgers and the Packers. Here’s a few:

Lack of Trust:

Trust is the cornerstone of establishing solid relationships, but apparently trust is a foreign concept between Green Bay’s front office and their seasoned quarterback.

In this case, Jordan Love serves as ‘Exhibit A.’ Rather than give Rodgers the tools he desperately needed to improve the Packers’ passing game, the Packers completely ignored their veteran quarterback and opted to draft Rodgers’ potential replacement— a total slap in the face to Rodgers and the entire Green Bay offense for that matter.

On that night, the Packers’ front office and coaching staff demonstrated where their priorities lied. Green Bay proved that their priority wasn’t necessarily to win a Super Bowl immediately, with Rodgers’ under center. But rather, the Packers preferred to place their faith in an unproven college quarterback who has yet to play a down in the NFL.

Lack of Communication:

When the Packers kicked that field goal in the 2020 NFC Championship, rest assured that deep down in his mind, Rodgers had to have known that the Packers weren’t going to get the ball back.

There’s a reason why Tom Brady is considered to be arguably the greatest quarterback of all time. Brady is a master at dominating clutch situations and most importantly, closing out games.

Regardless, given Rodgers’ comments at the end of that NFC Championship, it became clear that he and LaFleur were no longer in sync. Rodgers is aggressive, sometimes too aggressive. But needless to say, he is resilient and rarely gives up on a play. For the most part, throughout the season LaFleur had given his veteran quarterback the freedom to be aggressive and attack on offense. However, on that night, somehow the playoff nerves may have overwhelmed LaFleur as he resorted to the same conservative play calling that McCarthy used during his tenure in Green Bay. Correction: The same conservative play calling that eventually cost McCarthy his job.

Again, the Green Bay coaching staff opted against Rodgers’ better judgment and Rodgers watched helplessly as Brady marched his team downfield. LaFleur’s autocratic decision not only cost him an NFC Championship but potentially cost him an MVP quarterback.

Lack of Respect:

A veteran NFL quarterback with the caliber and most importantly the track record of Rodgers— nine-time Pro-Bowler, three-time MVP and Super Bowl Champ— deserves to be treated as such. Sure, Rodgers is technically still subordinate, yet given his track record, he has proven that he knows a thing or two about excelling in the NFL.

By blatantly disregarding Rodgers’ judgment and failing to provide him with the necessary tools to succeed, the Packers were essentially making it too easy for Rodgers to see the writing on the wall. Essentially, the Packers in a way told Rodgers that his talents and experience are no longer needed, without explicitly telling him he’s no longer needed. In other words, the Packers were preparing to part ways with Rodgers.

Rodgers wasn’t always this way, the Packers made him this way. They pushed the limits on a veteran quarterback who has demonstrated that he will not tolerate the blatant disrespect and be pushed around like a rookie. The Packers trampled on him like he was just some nobody and now they’re playing the victim. Don’t get it twisted it folks. Green Bay has nobody to blame but themselves. However, rest assured they will do everything in their power to try and turn Rodgers into a villain.

The relationship between Rodgers and Green Bay once had the potential to be filled with multiple Super Bowl Rings and glory— the NFC version of Brady and Bill Belichick. But now, it would be foolish for Rodgers to return to such a toxic relationship. Sure, he thrived in that environment last year, but there’s only so much disrespect a man can tolerate.

The romance is gone and hopes of amending the relationship are practically nonexistent. It’s time for Rodgers to close the Green Bay chapter and move onto an organization that will value him and give him the opportunity to win a Super Bowl.