The Green Bay Packers have a serious issue to resolve with star quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and his discontent with the franchise has been building up for some time now. Just how bad the internal discord was came to light last week, as Rodgers reportedly told members within the Packers organization that he does not want to return to the team.
Rodgers is so adamant about not returning to Green Bay that he reportedly told prospective Packers free agents, "before you make any decision, I'm probably not gonna be here," according to Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network. Garafolo reports that Rodgers had been telling players this potentially all the way back to the beginning of last season -- just months after the Packers traded up into the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft to select quarterback Jordan Love.
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It's worth pondering how seriously free agents and even Rodgers' own teammates took him, however. Star left tackle David Bakhtiari signed a monster four-year extension in November, and versatile running back Aaron Jones also signed a four-year extension this offseason. Both players probably understood Rodgers was upset with the franchise, but it's possible they didn't realize it would come to where we are now. It does appear there is a possibility Rodgers has played his last snap for the Packers.
While the cap issue has been tricky for all 32 teams this offseason, Green Bay hasn't signed a major free agent from another team this go-around. Maybe players took heed of Rodgers' message. The star signal-caller wants a change of scenery, and reports are he has even threatened retirement over the issue. At the very least, a training camp holdout is on the table.
