Speculation is rampant regarding the future of Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers after he dropped a not-so-subtle hint about his own uncertainty immediately following Sunday’s NFC Championship Game loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The situation is complicated, with many factors to consider, and just about everything at this point is conjecture.
Here are a few quick thoughts on the entire situation:
– Does Rodgers want a re-worked contract? Possibly. Probably. The way it’s structured now, the Packers have clear ways of trading him or getting out of the deal following the 2021 season and starting the Jordan Love era. It’s perfectly reasonable for the presumptive NFL MVP to want to avoid being a lame-duck quarterback. A restructured deal would give him contractual security in Green Bay past 2021.
– Rodgers lost some control over his future when the Packers traded up to draft Love last April. Now, after an MVP season, Rodgers might have the leverage to take some of the control back. He wants to stay in Green Bay. This could be his chance to extend his window.
– Rodgers knows what’s coming. This team is going to look different next season. No two ways around it. A restructured deal for Rodgers could free up some space and give the Packers a chance to re-sign one or two important free agents, but money is still going to be tight. This team is probably going to lose a bunch of players he absolutely loved playing with over the last few seasons.
– A restructure could be a win-win for Rodgers and the Packers. It would provide a commitment to an MVP quarterback for a few more seasons and free up some cap space. Rodgers could be great for another 3-4 years, at least, especially in this offense with Matt LaFleur. Then again, it would be punting on Love for a few more seasons, or possibly even for good. The Packers traded up to get Love and may not want to give up that option.
– Rodgers and the Packers just lost a golden opportunity to play for a Super Bowl. The team might look different in 2021, and it might take a year or two for the Packers to build back up to 2020 levels, who knows. Then again, keeping this core together for another year or two could give him a couple more great shots at getting back to the Super Bowl.
– Matt LaFleur and Mark Murphy have both said publicly that they either want or expect Rodgers back in 2021. They are pillars in the leadership structure. Listen to what they say, and how they say it.
– I chatted with Packers cap expert Ken Ingalls earlier Tuesday morning. He made a great point. If the Packers restructure Rodgers’ deal before the start of the new league year to free up cap space, it will be very difficult to move him at any point in the next few years. If they don’t, it might be the strongest signal yet that Love is going to be the quarterback in 2022. The next two months are going to tell us a lot.
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