How Aaron Rodgers and Green Bay Packers can rebuild their relationship?
Ahead of the NFL 2021 draft, news came out that the reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers told the Packers he didn’t want to return to the team. This sparked rumors that a trade could be inevitable. This offseason, Packers GM Brian Gutekunst, head coach Matt LaFleur, and president and CEO Mark Murphy have all flown separately to meet with Rodgers.
The Packers have been adamant that Rodgers would not be traded after the news of his dissatisfaction was out in public. Various reports of what would satisfy Rodgers have surfaced around the web and electronic media.
What went wrong?
Rodgers is rumored to be unwilling to play for the Packers as long as Gutekunst is the general manager. According to sources, Rodgers’ agent has been in Green Bay for contract talks with the franchise for the past month.
Rodgers requested a contract renewal, while the Green Bay Packers wanted to restructure his contract. It is also being said that the 37-year old quarterback is considering retirement until the condition can be “repaired to his taste,” implying that there is still hope for Green Bay that their best player won’t leave them.
How can the Packers convince Rodgers to stay?
There have been constant debates on whether Aaron Rodgers will finally decide to stay at Green Bay. In one of the recent ones, ESPN’s Monday Night Football Analyst Louis Riddick conversed with Rich Eisen of “The Rich Eisen Show.”
Riddick said, “You know what I think? When it becomes something that transcends business and it just becomes personal like there’s probably people that you know in life that no matter what once they kind of like rub you the wrong way. They may be able to “fix it” with you to the point where maybe you’re cordial with them and you know you don’t hold a whole lot of real negative animosity towards them to the degree where you know it affects you. You know day-to-day but you’re able to tolerate them but it doesn’t mean you necessarily would want to engage in.”
“You know, go golfing with them or you’d want to go into a business venture with them or you would want to work with them. And if it’s to that point we’re there. And I mean I don’t know. I mean he (Aaron Rodgers) hasn’t spoken about it. You know, he hasn’t made any public statement about it. So I don’t really know how fixable it is until he gives us more clarity on exactly where he’s at with it and how personal it is between him and Brian Gutekunst“, the former footballer continued.
“Once it becomes personal and crosses a certain, I wouldn’t want to work with you.”
Riddick further stated, “If it is something that an apology a real sincere apology a real real real sincere apology will make it so he goes, ‘hey, you know what… yeah I’ll come back because my boys are there. You give me the best chance to win. You are paying me a lot of money. I would like to finish my career in one place until he says something we’re all just guessing because for some people and look I’ll be the first person to raise my hand. I’m guilty of it too.’ For sometimes once it becomes personal and crosses a certain point I don’t care what you say to me, I’ll be cordial with you but I wouldn’t want to work with you. I wouldn’t want to be around you anymore.”
“I wouldn’t want to deal with you in that way and we don’t know if it’s reached that point with him so until he says so we’re just going to be kind of like uh discussing it and guess,” the former San Francisco 49ers safety concluded.
What can be the remedy?
Green Bay could be a two-step method to cure their internal dispute without selling Rodgers or firing Gutekunst. A pledge to trade Jordan Love, whose involvement is a major source for the rift between Aaron Rodgers and Packers, will almost certainly be needed. However, that option, i.e. trading Love, doesn’t seem likely at this point.
