The 2021 NFL season has been unlike any other for Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. First and foremost, it was a season that, at one point, was unlikely to happen.
Last summer, Rodgers’ grievances with the front office were made public in the most lurid of ways. On the night of the 2021 NFL draft, reports of Rodgers’ displeasure stole every headline. In a nutshell, his lack of voice in the organization was something he could no longer tolerate. The leader of the Packers franchise and a first-ballot Hall of Famer did not want to return.
During an offseason in which Rodgers did a lot of reflection and exploring interests outside of football, he said retirement was “definitely an option.”
Rodgers did not feel valued or secure in his role with Green Bay. Contrary to popular belief, it had little to do with the decision to draft his eventual success in Jordan Love with a first-round pick. Rodgers’ input, particularly on personnel decisions, was rarely utilized. Meanwhile, Rodgers saw countless teammates, including teammates Charles Woodson, Micah Hyde, and Jordy Nelson, among others – who had great careers with the Packers – walk out the door in unsettling ways.
As Rodgers put it, some guys weren’t given the respect they deserved during their departure as some were lowballed or not offered a contract at all.
There are many layers to this onion of a relationship between a Hall of Fame quarterback and his organization. However, one thing that stood out was Rodgers’ comments about his relationship with general manager Brian Gutekunst.
When Rodgers made his surprising return to the team in July, he called his relationship with the Packers’ GM “professional.” Gutekunst wasn’t consulting Rodgers on decisions involving the roster, and he also didn’t include his quarterback in the head coaching search after the firing of Mike McCarthy.
Rodgers said it was clear his role was to play football, but he felt he had earned the right to have a voice in his own future and the future of the franchise.
So, Gutekunst started to accommodate Rodgers on some of his demands. Either he was trying to save face for the smear campaign that had occurred all summer, or he realized his quarterback’s concerns were valid. Maybe, it was a bit of both.
No one knows exactly what was said in the conversations Rodgers had with the team leading up to his return, however, we do know that Gutekunst agreed to trade for one of Rodgers’ favorite targets and close friends in Randall Cobb. Cobb was one of the players Rodgers mentioned as being disrespected on their way out the door. Now over 30 years of age, Cobb isn’t the same player he once was, but bringing back a target he clearly had a lot of chemistry with meant a lot to Rodgers.
It was a start for a relationship on the mend.
Then, during one of his weekly appearances on “The Pat McAfee Show,” Rodgers said he and his GM have had “great conversations.”
“There has been great communication,” Rodgers said in November. “I’ve enjoyed the conversations with Brian that we’ve had throughout the year so far.”
Leading up to the Packers’ Week 18 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings, Rodgers made similar remarks once again, this time as the front runner for his fourth NFL MVP.
“I’ve enjoyed being a part of conversations that directly affect my job, which I talked about in the offseason, and Brian’s taken the lead in that. And I do appreciate the way our relationship has grown,” per Matt Schneidman of The Athletic.
Gutekunst deserves a ton of credit for the job he has done, not only to get Rodgers back but to strengthen a roster that will once again have a strong chance of reaching the Super Bowl.
Rodgers has praised the signings of De’Vondre Campbell and Rasul Douglas – two acquisitions that have been instrumental in the team’s success this year. Campbell was just named to his first All-Pro after being a late free-agent pickup. Meanwhile, Douglas was on the Arizona Cardinals practice squad before becoming a Pro Bowl alternate after logging a team-high five interceptions, including two pick-sixes, in 12 games for Green Bay.
Was Rodgers consulted in the signings of Campbell and Douglas? No, but they serve as nice reminders of how good Rodgers’ situation is with the Packers. He has one of the best coaches in the game, one of the best talent evaluators for a GM, oh, and also the best wide receiver in the NFL.
Maybe this is Rodgers’ last hoorah in Green Bay. He didn’t rule out retiring in 2022, but that would be highly unlikely if he wins his fourth MVP and also ends the season hoisting a Lombardi Trophy.
All along, Rodgers has just been trying to enjoy another season. In the process, he has added another notch to his incredible legacy. Now the playoffs are here, and after a troubling offseason that almost ended in catastrophe, Rodgers’ 11th playoff appearance as the Packers’ starting quarterback could be his most defining.
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