If rumors circulating ahead of the NFL Draft end up being correct, a recent guest host of Jeopardy! may end up appearing on the show in the form of a question:
A: This former Green Bay Packers quarterback was the first reigning NFL MVP to not return to his team the season after winning the award for a reason other than retirement.
Q: Who is Aaron Rodgers?
According to reports from NFL insiders across the board including ESPN’s Adam Schefter, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Jay Glazer of Fox Sports, Rodgers is unhappy in Green Bay and has gone so far as to tell some members of the organization that he does not want to play for the Packers in the 2021 season.
The reported reasons for Rodgers’s unhappiness with the Packers range from the two sides being unable to work out a contract extension to the organization using their first-round pick to draft quarterback Jordan Love last year. Regardless of the rationale, it seems pretty clear there is a real disconnect between the franchise quarterback and the franchise. What is unclear is if Rodgers, who recently got engaged to actress Shailene Woodley and was very happy hosting Jeopardy!, is so dissatisfied about his situation in Green Bay that he’d rather retire than play for the Packers. If he is serious about being done with the Packers, that may be his only option, as there is reportedly a “zero percent chance” the team trades him.
But the Packers are well aware of how Rodgers feels and have tried to address it by offering him a contract extension and sending team president Mark Murphy, general manager Brian Gutekunst and head coach Matt LaFleur on separate trips to meet with Rodgers at various points this offseason — including while he was hosting Jeopardy!, sources told ESPN.
“As we’ve stated since the season ended, we are committed to Aaron in 2021 and beyond,” Gutekunst told ESPN prior to Thursday’s draft. “Aaron has been a vital part of our success and we look forward to competing for another championship with him leading our team.”
Odds are that will end up being the case. Rodgers and the team will work out an extension, he’ll deal with his frustration about the team drafting Love and Green Bay will be in the mix to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl again. That being said, there’s always a chance things have advanced to the point of no return and Rodgers would rather retire than play for Green Bay. Should that actually be the case, the Packers will trade him — and receive a king’s ransom in return.
And if he does end up on a new team next seasons, Rodgers could potentially find himself as another Jeopardy! question …
Stay tuned. The Packers have the 29th pick in the draft … for now.
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