Aaron Rodgers Watch: Day 7

May 5, 2021
|In Packers
|By Zach Heilprin

The drama around quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers continued on a number of fronts Tuesday.

First came a report from The Athletic’s Bob McGinn that Rodgers had group texts with teammates in which he referred to general manager Brian Gutekunst as Jerry Krause. It was a nod towards the former Chicago Bulls general manager who was verbally mocked relentlessly by Michael Jordan during the late stages of their dynasty in the 1990s. Jordan’s disdain for Krause was brought into the light when the Last Dance documentary ran last April.

Later, during an appearance on ESPN Wisconsin, former Packers quarterback Brett Favre said in his gut he believes Rodgers won’t play in Green Bay again. He said he would like for Rodgers to return and win one more Super Bowl, but also wants him to be happy.

Early in the afternoon, the NFL Network reported that as far back as last fall Rodgers was telling prospective Packers free agents that he didn’t expect to be back in Green Bay in 2021.

That didn’t stop defensive tackle Kenny Clark (July), tackle David Bakhtiari (November) or running back Aaron Jones (March) from signing long-term deals with the Packers. One deal that was reportedly going to get done earlier this offseason, an extension for wide receiver Davante Adams, has not materialized to this point.

The day was finished off with former Packers fullback John Kuhn giving fans a bit of hope in the situation ending with Rodgers back in Green Bay. During an appearance on CBS Sports Radio, Kuhn said he had spoken to Rodgers since the story broke last Thursday.

“He’s conflicted because this man loves to play the game of football, this man loves to be a Green Bay Packer,” Kuhn said on the Zach Gelb Show. “(But) he’s watched friends leave. He watched Brett Favre’s career towards the end. He’s watched all these things play out in front of his eyes. He’s taken notes throughout his entire career. He’s seen some situations that he didn’t feel were done or finished the way that they could or should have. He’s just trying to take his own destiny within his own hands. Aaron Rodgers has an opportunity to try and take a little bit of that power back.

Asked to put a percentage on the chance Rodgers will be the quarterback this fall, Kuhn said he was 70 to 75% sure he would be. But he also recognizes the difficulty Rodgers and Gutekunst will have in figuring out the situation they’ve put themselves in.

“I still believe there is an opportunity at a resolution here,” Kuhn said. “I just think it’s going to take two men that are dug in right now and try to meet in the middle somewhere where they are both happy.”

While we have heard from nearly every party involved, Rodgers has not spoken publicly about football since before the story first broke last Thursday.