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Aaron Rodgers said his 2020 MVP season threw a “wrench” in the Packers‘ plans to move on from him.
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Rodgers reportedly wants out of Green Bay, but the Packers have said they want him to stay.
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Rodgers denied being against Jordan Love, whose addition suggested his time in Green Bay was up.
Aaron Rodgers suggested on “SportsCenter” that his exit plan from Green Bay was foiled when he played so well in 2020 and won MVP.
According to numerous reports, Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers are in a stalemate over the 37-year-old quarterback’s future. Rodgers reportedly wants out of Green Bay. He and the Packers have had contract extension discussions, but Rodgers has reportedly turned them down.
Despite this, the Packers have publicly said they want Rodgers back this season.
Rodgers’ frustration is reportedly multi-faceted. The drafting of quarterback Jordan Love in the first round of the 2020 draft reportedly bothered him, as did a lackluster effort to upgrade the offensive weapons around him. Other reports have suggested that Rodgers is frustrated with Packers GM Brian Gutekunst and wants him out.
Rodgers has acknowledged that the drafting of Love had meant his time in Green Bay was limited – teams don’t trade up to draft a quarterback in the first round to make him sit on the bench for 3-4 seasons anymore.
On Monday, ESPN’s Kenny Mayne asked Rodgers if he has demanded a trade from the Packers. Rodgers somewhat opened up about his rift with the team.
Though he denied having anything against Love, he suggested his MVP season in 2020 threw a “wrench” in the plans.
“With my situation, look – it’s never been about the draft pick, picking Jordan,” Rodgers said. “I love Jordan, he’s a great kid, lot of fun to work together. I love the coaching staff, love my teammates, love the fan base in Green Bay. Incredible, incredible 16 years.
“It’s just kind of about a philosophy. And maybe forgetting that it is about the people that make the [organization] go. It’s about character, it’s about culture, it’s about doing things the right way.
“And a lot of this was put in motion last year, and the wrench was just kind of thrown into it when I won MVP and played the way I played last year. So, this is just kind of, I think, the spill-out of all that.”
After a below-average 2019 season, Rodgers bounced back in a big way in 2020, posting one of the best seasons of his career. He seemingly suggested that his play changed the Packers’ plans and that they are now holding onto him.
Rodgers told Mayne that he believes “people” are often the forgotten element in organizational success. He went on to name past Packers greats. Some in the NFL world took it as Rodgers hinting he feels undervalued in Green Bay.
As ESPN’s Rob Demovsky said on “Get Up” on Tuesday, Rodgers is calculated about what he chooses to say and not to say. Notably, Rodgers did not mention the Packers front office in his comments.
Rodgers, then, seemed to make a point of noting that he is still one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, a player who can’t easily be replaced.
Read the original article on Insider