Mark Murphy says Packers ‘remain committed’ to getting Aaron Rodgers back as their QB

The Green Bay Packers efforts to get quarterback Aaron Rodgers back in the building are ongoing, according to team president/CEO Mark Murphy.

In his monthly column on Packers.com, Murphy said attempts to find a resolution continue roughly five weeks after Rodgers issues with the front office came to light in a report from ESPN.

“The situation we face with Aaron Rodgers has divided our fan base. The emails and letters that I’ve received reflect this fact,” Murphy wrote. “As I wrote here last month, we remain committed to resolving things with Aaron and want him to be our quarterback in 2021 and beyond. We are working to resolve the situation and realize that the less both sides say publicly, the better.”

Rodgers’ issues seem to stem from how he perceives players and others under the front office are treated.

“(I) love the coaching staff, love my teammates, love the fan base in Green Bay. An incredible 16 years,” Rodgers said during an appearance on SportsCenter last month, notably leaving GM Brian Gutekunst out of things he loves about the franchise. “It’s just kind of about a philosophy and maybe forgetting that it is about the people that make the thing go. It’s about character, it’s about culture, it’s about doing things the right way.”

Some have suggested that the Packers appease Rodgers by getting rid of Gutekunst or other members of the front office, but Murphy doesn’t sound like someone that has even considered the idea.

“… I have tremendous confidence in Brian Gutekunst. In his relatively short tenure as our GM, he has completely turned around the fortunes of our team,” Murphy wrote. “He has put together a talented team (last year we had the most players voted to the Pro Bowl) that has a 28-8 record over the last two years, after consecutive losing seasons in 2017 and 2018, and has played in back-to-back NFC Championship games. Moreover, he has a great working relationship with Head Coach Matt LaFleur. He and EVP/director of football operations Russ Ball have managed our salary cap smartly and have us well positioned for the future.”

Green Bay will hold its mandatory minicamp this coming week. Players can be fined for not attending and the Packers reportedly haven’t been told whether Rodgers will be there or not. He has missed the entirety of the offseason program for the first time in his career and in doing so forfeited a $500,000 workout bonus.