The summer of 2021 has been the summer of whining and complaining around pro sports leagues, particularly the NFL. Russell Wilson was complaining about needing more help on his roster, the general public (and myself) have been complaining about Dan Snyder and the ineptitude of NFL investigations... albeit this is really an evergreen topic, but more than anything this has been the summer of Aaron Rodgers.
Now, Rodgers hasn't been vocally complaining to the media or anything like that, but it's apparent how unhappy he is with the Green Bay Packers and the lack of respect he feels they have shown him the last several years. Unless you've been living under a sports world rock, you know that one of the league's premier franchise's has not been living up to the man's high standards when it comes to draft picks, free agent signings and much more. It's clear that Aaron wants to leave; that being said, he's not going anywhere and we shouldn't expect him to.
The Packers are based in the true definition of small town USA. Green Bay is a far cry from what many would consider to be a major city, and I'll happily admit that I'd never know it existed if not for the packers. The club has had plenty of opportunities to relocate to a much bigger location in Milwaukee, I'm sure of this. But, they have chosen to stick to their roots, and this alone should have been enough to tip off Rodgers that no amount of bitching and complaining would help him get his way and get out of town.
Rodgers may leave the Packers in a year or two, sure, but for 2021, he's trapped. He has multiple years remaining on his contract, no leverage, and a ton of money on the line. Now, say what you want about Rodgers having already made a ton of money in his career, but he stands to lose somewhere around 20-30 million if he elects to go full tantrum and retire from football. Even Jeff Bezos would consider that a significant sum of money.
Not to mention, he has no leverage, and the Packers aren't known for making splashy moves. This is both one of the reasons Rodgers wants out, and the primary reason why he won't get out. The team knows they have one of the worlds greatest quarterbacks of this era, as well as all time. They would be foolish to just let him walk away, no matter how pissy he gets with them. Even if Jordan Love, his heir apparent is an absolute stud, the franchise made Rodgers sit behind Brett Favre for multiple years until Favre worked his way out of town, but that was a completely different situation. Love may be good, but it's impossible to recreate Aaron freakin Rodgers. Where Rodgers was a clear upgrade from Favre, making it easy for the Packers to trade him, there isn't a snowballs chance in hell that Love can hold a candle to Rodgers in terms of ability. He's just that good.
So why would the team get rid of an all time talent when they have him under lock and key for multiple years? If he was on the last year of his deal, or maybe even his second-to-last, I could understand this, but he's got at least three years remaining. He's stuck.
At this point, Rodgers is putting on a show because he wants people to know he's unhappy, and ultimately be on his side. Unfortunately for him, the Packers are rooted into Green Bay, and the people of Wisconsin know they'll have the Packers for the foreseeable future, where Rodgers is living on borrowed time with them. The local fan base is much more likely to cape for their beloved franchise than one guy who has never seemed to fully embrace the Wisconsin community. It's clear he wants to move back west where he grew up, and that's going to make any small town upset. Don't tell people from small towns you want to leave, they don't take it well.
The media circus around Rodgers this summer has been entertaining, but it's time for it to stop. He may not have confirmed it, but common sense says he'll be with the team. They'll have another solid season, and he'll ultimately get booted in either the Divisional Round or Conference Championship per usual, and we'll begin again.
Wash, Rinse, Rodgers.
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