Sports Time Radio

There are times I see a sports story that is either reported on television or I read about online and it just doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me. This Aaron Rodgers story is one of them; I just don’t get it.

In case you haven’t heard on Thursday Rodgers apparently told his current team the Green Bay Packers that he no longer wants to play for them and I just can’t seem to figure out why. Well to be honest I might’ve figured out why, but will get to that later.

Now there was talk about this exact same thing earlier this off season and a lot seemed to center on the fact that the Packers drafted quarterback Jordan Love in the 1st round and didn’t pick a wide receiver like Rodgers wanted them to. Now let’s face it every quarterback wants his team to add another offensive weapon for him to throw to even if the pick doesn’t make sense for that said team to make. Okay; so Rodgers is upset about that, but that’s not really something to leave a team for; is it?

If you go back to when the Packers made the change at head coach and brought in Matt LaFleur there was some tension right away and it showed in the first year that Rodgers was in LaFleur’s offense in his first season. In 2019 Rodgers completed 62% of his passes which was he second lowest completion percentage since taking over as the Packers full time starter. Rodgers also posted his second lowest total in passing touchdowns with 26. Oddly even through all of this the Packers still went 13-3 and won the NFC Central and a playoff game.

Then we move to this past season and there wasn’t any new animosity that seemed to come up between Rodgers and the Packers, but ho knows what goes on behind the scenes. On the field it appeared that Rodgers was in better spirts as he had what some might say the best year of his career. Rodgers posted career highs in Touchdown passes with 48 and completion percentage with 70.7% while winning his 3rd career MVP award. The team again went 13-3 winning the NFC Central again, but running into some trouble in the NFC Championship game losing to the eventual Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Right after that NFC Championship game is where this controversy started after some comments Rodgers made about his future. Now you have to wonder if those comments came out because Rodgers had just missed out on a chance to go to the Super Bowl or if he was upset about the Packers going for a field goal instead of allowing him to try and win the game for them, but I doubt will ever really know.

Now the media did everything in their power to give this story legs, but even with the media behind this story it died out fairly quickly and it looked like things where okay between Rodgers and the Packers until Thursday when this story came out.

As I’m trying to figure out why Rodgers would want out of Green Bay I’m wondering if he doesn’t like winning. It’s clear that the Packers are head and shoulders above any other team in the NFC Central and that gives them an easy path into the playoffs; so that gives Rodgers a shot to go to the Super Bowl in just about every season he’s in Green Bay.

Now don’t forget that the Packers where interested in renegotiating Rodgers deal so they could try and add players in the free agent market, but I believe Rodgers never really engaged in talks with Green Bay about renegotiating his deal. Now this wouldn’t of cost him any total money and would’ve given him team a chance to add a player that he complains about not having. In the end a renegotiation might’ve given Rodgers a little more money on the back end of his contract. You have to wonder why Rodgers wouldn’t of been interested in at least sitting down with the Packers and talking about moving some of his money around to try and help them land a big free agent.

This is what brought me to what I think might be the just position of this issue; money. Rodgers is due to make $33.5 million dollars this coming season. That ranks Rodgers as the 5th highest paid quarterback for the 2021 season. Obvious Patrick Mahomes is the highest paid quarterback in the NFL for good reason, but the 2nd and 3rd highest paid quarterbacks aren’t really in Rodgers league. Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys turned his franchise tag in a payday of $40 million dollars for next season while DeShaun Watson of the Houston Texans is do to make $39 million dollars next season. Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks is the 4th highest paid quarterback next season at $35 million dollars. Is it at all possible that Rodgers is using this tactic as a ploy to get a new contract from the Packers that pays him more than Prescott and Watson who even at age 37 Rodgers is clearly better than.

Now will have to wait and see how this situation plays out, but the Packers have already come out and said that they have no plans to trade Rodgers as they should. If the Packers do refuse to make any kind of deal with Rodgers that leaves him with what appears to be two choices. Rodgers can either play for the Packers where he has I believe three more years on his contract or he can retire and walk away from the NFL.

I fully expect Rodgers to be the Packers quarterback Week 1 of the 2021, but what do you think? How do you see this playing out and where do you think Rodgers will be playing next season? Or if you think he’ll be playing at all.

Now I enjoy the NFL draft as much as any other fan does and while you’re going to hear if your favorite won or lost the draft, but let’s face it no one really knows. I can actually give you one winner right now and that’s Cleveland. No not the Browns, but the draft process where the NFL is bringing a fan on stage to sit in Roger Goodall’s chair while their teams pick is announced. Last night when the Browns where making their 2nd round pick the fan they brought on stage to sit in that chair was dressed like the “Macho Man’ Randy Savage and this guy nailed it. He was carrying a title belt with him and had the mannerisms down to a tee. This has clearly been the best part of the draft; so this guy whoever he is was the actually winner of the draft no matter what happens today.

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You can also find me on Twitter @Burketime