MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK

If a trade happens, it will be a post June 1 transaction. I don’t think this is over. How do you go back to that QB room now though. Walk through the door and say “it was just business”? I realize they are pros, but he is going to lose the locker room.

 

Between his endorsements and 1% ownership of the milwalkee bucks i doubt he is worried.

 

All the more drama in Green Bay the better, lol.

Seriously, its awkward to say the least, to see this get aired out publicly. Rodgers and the GB brass ought to know better... to me its all kinda petty, but like i said, screw the Pack and let the dirty laundry/shit hit the fan and splatter where it may!

 

@Tim or anyone else who would like to chime in, given all the talk recently about Rodgers wanting GB to trade him i was just wondering, what do you think his actual trade value is?

He obvs just won MVP so is playing as well as ever, but also turns 38 next season and already seems to have one eye on life after football which could raise a slight question about commitment. Could they get two 1sts for Rodgers?

 

2 is probably the best that they could get. I can’t see teams paying more because the window for winning a championship is not very big

 

I think two first is the starting point. It depends on the team really and why I felt Denver was the team to beat to get his services if the Pack believe he will retire if they don't trade him. It's better to get something for him, than nothing. Though, if they let him retire, I am all of their cap woes that go with him retire also. In fact they would be eligible to recoup around $30M in bonuses already paid to him. If they trade him, they will have to pay close to another $38M on this years cap without him playing for them or around $17M this year and the difference in 2022 if they make it a post June 1 deal.

So, the compensation will have to be better than a first.. that's for certain. How much better depends on how much the Packers want to let him go to another team.

As far as teams trading FOR him, he's under contract for 3 years, which puts them in a pretty good Super Bowl run window at a cost of about $15.2M in 2021, $25,500 in 2022 and $25,500 in 2023. That's about as big a bargain as they come with the talent they would be infusing into their roster...

Breaking all of that down, I think you are probably looking more into the (3) #1 pick range, a) for the expense to move him on Green Bay's part and b) the talent level the receiving team will be getting at basically a bargain basement price. They also will most likely have the distinction of being the team a future HOF player retires on, if there is any value to that.

Denver is built to win right now, in 2021. I don't know if there is any other team that would benefit from a trade like this.

Rodgers has actually backed himself into a corner moreso than backing the Packers into a corner, imho. The salary cap breaks alone would benefit the Pack if they believe Love is the QB of their future.

 

I mean it just sounds insane to give up three 1sts for a guy turning 38 this season. I mean two sounds crazy as well tbh. But in a way its really not and it wouldn't surprise me to see it happen.

 

Terry Bradshaw on Aaron Rodgers: “Him being upset shows me how weak he is”



The new TB12’s experiences in Tampa surely have influenced the desire of Aaron Rodgers to find a new football team. The original TB12 has some thoughts on the matter.

“With him being that upset shows me how weak he is,” Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw said Monday in an appearance with Moose and Maggie on WFAN. “Who the hell cares who you draft? I mean, he’s a three-time MVP in the league and he’s worried about this guy they drafted last year at number one? . . . And for him to be upset, my God, I don’t understand that. Pittsburgh drafted Mark Malone number one, Cliff Stoudt in the third or fourth round. I had them coming at me from all angles. I embraced it, because when we went to practice, I wasn’t worried about those guys. You know? They didn’t scare me a bit. So I don’t understand why he’s so upset at Green Bay. . . .

“And then if they fire the General Manager he’ll come back? Are you kidding me? Really? Aaron, that’s where this is?”

So what would Bradshaw do?

“Here’s what I’d do,” Bradshaw said. “I wouldn’t budge. Let him gripe. Let him cry. Retire. You’re 38. Go ahead and retire. See you later. I mean, I’m really strong about stuff like that, and it makes him look weak. In my way of looking at it, it makes him look weak.”

Marc Malusis then asked Bradshaw whether he thought that it was an empty threat from Rodgers.

“I hadn’t thought of it like that,” Bradshaw said, “but call him on it.”

Bradshaw then said he didn’t believe it’s an empty threat, but he went back and forth on the possibility before reiterating his bottom-line belief: Call him on it.

That seems to be what the Packers will do. By retiring, Rodgers would be forced to repay $23 million in unearned signing bonus money, and he’d also lose the $6.8 million roster bonus he earned earlier in the offseason. Likewise, he’d give up the $14.7 million base salary he’s due to earn this year. That’s $44.5 million — and Jeopardy! doesn’t pay close to that amount.

Rodgers also would give up one of the remaining seasons of football that he can play before Father Time inevitably whacks Rodgers over the head with that big-ass hourglass. So that’s really the question Rodgers needs to ask himself. Is he so determined to get out of Green Bay that he’d not only give up $44.5 million, but that he also would never play football again?

NBC

 

This really is a good talking point. I am curious who is on who's side in all of this. The different takes are interesting.

Personally, I am having a hard time picking a side on this one.

Points to be made in Rodgers favor:
He (and as such the Packers) has a small window to win championships in Green Bay. That is all he wants to do is be on a team looking to win championships. They have been one or two players away for what seems like 5 years, yet last year they spend their first round pick on a quarterback.

I am not convinced, like what Bradshaw is referring to, that Rodgers is threatened in any way by Jordan Love. In fact, I would argue that picking Love in the first round was a bad business decision regardless of your current QB room. Putting that aside, when you are in need of pieces to propel you to a Super Bowl win, a backup QB (at least for the next 4 years, as you have your future HOF QB under contract for that long) tells me you are less concerned about winning a Lombardi and more concerned with continuing to just win games after that player retires. BAD business decision and I totally understand Rodgers frustration on this point.

Points to be made in the Packers favor:
Players need to play, (I'm not sure I totally agree with this, especially with a player with Rodgers status within the organization) not worry about the roster decisions. The GM has his job to do, the ownership have their jobs to do, the coaching staff, etc... The players need to make sure they are the best version of themselves, to help the team win, which in turn makes their individual commodity worth more for contract negotiations.

The point of trade vs. standing pat:

Trade: You always want to maximize trade value when you have a commodity. If that player is going to be a detriment to the team if he/she stays, then if the value presents itself, take it as long as it is doable fiscally. In this case, the Packers could trade Rodgers and be ok with cash and the cap.

Stand pat: Although it is doable fiscally, it puts the team in a bad situation from a roster stand point today. That is why compensation is so important in this discussion. ONE round one draft pick definitely won't do in this situation in my opinion.

One first round pick = losing $38M in cap space and losing $30M in cash already paid to the player threatening to hold out. That is low odds you will be able to recoup any money based in a single player replacing this future HOF.
Stand pat = save face in from a fan standpoint, you are not the ones trading away your franchise player. On the surface you look like you are attempting to do everything in your power to keep a Super Bowl hope alive. If the player refuses and retires, that remains on the player and not the team. You also recoup (if you choose to) $30M in cash from previously paid bonuses. You also immediately recoup $38M in cap space that can be used on veteran leadership to surround Love, whom you have pegged as the future of the franchise by using a first round pick on him.
Multiple first round picks = a closing gap in the compensation battle of what is worth losing a HOF QB and $38M cap/$30M cash. There is definitely a happy medium.


In my opinion, there is a deal that could move Aaron Rodgers, but the Packers shouldn't be willing to settle for the best offer. It definitely needs to make sense. There is absolutely no hurry to make anything happen. Wait until the end of May, if Rodgers doesn't show up for the mandatory mini camp in June, then give him the option of looking for his own trade, have parameters set up for that trade so that he understands what is needed to make it happen. Again, don't settle, make it clear on WHY they won't just trade him to make him happy.

 

Terry Bradshaw has more things to say about Aaron Rodgers



Terry Bradshaw was trending on Twitter today. Fortunately, it wasn’t because he’d finally done what he’d supposedly done in 2007.

Bradshaw continued his assault against Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers during an appearance on Colin Cowherd’s show.

Among other things, Bradshaw said Rodgers “has probably the worst footwork I’ve ever seen for a starting quarterback.” Frankly, that simply doesn’t matter, if the quarterback is delivering the ball accurately. Patrick Mahomes has bad footwork, too, and he’s already one of the greatest players in league history.

The more intriguing topic came from Bradshaw’s comments about Rodgers’ contract. Bradshaw compared Rodgers’ desire for a new contract to Bradshaw potentially calling FOX and demanding a new deal despite having multiple years left.

That’s a misleading take. Bradshaw has one contract — his deal with FOX. Rodgers (like every player) has two, his individual agreement with the Packers and the broader contract between the NFL and the NFL Players Association. Although Rodgers has three years let on his deal with the Packers, the labor deal gives him rights to apply leverage to the Packers by, for example, not showing up.

Will there be financial consequences? Yes. Does Rodgers have the right to assume those consequences and withhold services? Absolutely.

It was cleaner for Tom Brady to leave New England, because his individual contract had expired and the team didn’t apply the franchise tag. And it would be easier for Rodgers to get out if he hadn’t agreed to a deal that runs through 2023, and that gives the Packers year-to-year flexibility on the back end.

That continues to be the crux of the problem. The Packers want the benefit of the ability to make their decisions about Rodgers one year at a time. Rodgers wants to short circuit that process.

Rodgers isn’t the only one who has done that. Carson Wentz did it in Philadelphia. Matthew Stafford did it in Detroit. Deshaun Watson is in the process of doing it in Houston. And Russell Wilson eventually will do it in Seattle.

The only questions at this point are whether the Packers dig in or do a deal, and whether Rodgers eventually will return to the Packers, acting like the whole thing was exaggerated and/or fabricated.

NBC

 

Matt Rhule on passing on QB: I just believe in Sam Darnold



The Panthers were seen as a potential landing spot for quarterbacks heading into the first round of the draft despite the presence of Sam Darnold and they had a pair of them on the board when the No. 8 pick came up last Thursday night.

Neither Justin Fields nor Mac Jones was the team’s choice, however. They took cornerback Jaycee Horn and cemented their commitment to Darnold by exercising their option on his contract for the 2022 season.

During a Tuesday appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, Rhule explained that the rationale behind the Panthers’ pick was that they’ll be better with Darnold and Horn than they would be by doubling down at the quarterback spot.

“I love those guys and I think they’re gonna be great NFL players. I just think for us, when we got Sam and knowing he’s 23-years-old, just turned 24, we just felt like Sam plus another player would be better for the team overall,” Rhule said. “Bill Parcells once said one player can’t do it alone. We’re just trying to build the whole team and I just believe in Sam, I believe that he deserves the opportunity to go out and play with us. I think those other young quarterbacks are gonna be fantastic players, but the hit rate on first-round quarterbacks isn’t real, real high, and to have a chance to get Jaycee Horn and have Sam Darnold, we just kind of felt like, ‘Hey this is two for one.’ Now, we just have to make sure Sam’s a great player for us.”

After taking Horn, the Panthers selected four straight offensive players who can fit around Darnold in the Panthers’ bid to make sure that his Carolina tenure is more successful than his time with the Jets. If that doesn’t work and the other quarterbacks flourish, hindsight won’t be kind to the Panthers. If it does, the rebuild in Carolina should pick up a lot of speed.

NBC

 

Meanwhile; More Packers/Rodgers drama...



The Packers reportedly think some of the teams interested in trading for Aaron Rodgers have violated league rules by letting Rodgers know they’re interested.

According to Rob Demovsky of ESPN, the Packers are upset that other teams, including the 49ers and Broncos, may have contacted Rodgers to see if he is interested in playing for them.

However, the report says the Packers have not filed a tampering complaint with the NFL because tampering is incredibly hard to prove.

Under NFL rules, a player under contract to a team cannot be contacted by representatives of any other team, unless the player’s current team gives other teams permission. So if the Packers decide to trade Rodgers, they could give other teams permission to talk with him about a trade. But right now, the Packers say they will not trade Rodgers and have not given any team permission to contact him.

Those rules are sometimes enforced. For instance, after the Chiefs signed wide receiver Jeremy Maclin in 2015, they were docked a 2016 third-round pick and a 2017 sixth-round pick because they contacted Maclin while he was still under contract with the Eagles. But generally speaking, the enforcement of tampering in the NFL is arbitrary, and the Packers would need smoking-gun evidence to get the NFL to do anything. If the 49ers or Broncos had some back-door communications with Rodgers or his agent, there’s probably not much the Packers can do about it.

NBC

 

Report: Aaron Rodgers told prospective Packers free agents he likely won’t be on the team



Some quarterbacks work to keep their teams together. Aaron Rodgers reportedly has done the opposite.

Mike Garafolo of NFL Media reports that, dating back to last season, Rodgers was telling the team’s prospective free agents “before you make any decisions, I’m probably not gonna be there.”

That didn’t stop tackle David Bakhtiari or running back Aaron Jones from re-signing with the team. But money talks, and both got plenty of it to stay. The question of whether they actually stayed doesn’t matter; the point is that Rodgers did the exact opposite of what most quarterbacks do.

He didn’t try to get other players to stay. He likewise didn’t opt for the neutrality of saying nothing. If the report is accurate — and there’s no reason to believe it isn’t — Rodgers tried to undermine the team’s best interests by putting them under the impression that he was on the way out the door.

It’s the latest evidence supporting the notion that Rodgers actively has been working to sabotage the team for which he has played since 2005. He created an issue that required at least three trips by member of the team’s brain trust to California since the end of the 2020 season, in a failed effort to resolve his concerns at a time when the men who made the trips surely had better things to do. Then, he strategically launched a major distraction hours before the draft, a distraction that grew and grew until it culminated in the news that Rodgers wants the man running the Green Bay draft to be fired.

Packers fans understand the nuances of the NFL better than most fans. Packers fans — especially those who own stock in the team — could soon realize the significance of the things Rodgers reportedly has been doing. Thus, Packers fans could soon turn on Rodgers just as hard as they turned on Brett Favre.

NBC

 

Hey, Aaron Rodgers ---->

 

@IrishDawg42 touched on a lot of really good points and I agree with a lot of what he posted.

Here's my take on it -

If the reports out about Rodgers telling potential free agents not to view returning with the perspective of him being the quarterback, that's a line crossed that cannot be undone. To sum that up in short - If I'm the GM, this just became a "Hey Aaron... Fuck you." moment. I'm looking across the league to find someone willing to hand me a first and more (maybe just a first at this point) and I want it to be the worst possible situation I can send that preening brat to.

"Hey Houston, you want to forget all about that Watson issue? Make an offer."

"Yo, Denver. You want to forget about all that Lock and Teddy B camp competition? Send me a first and a little something extra just to keep me good with the town."

It likely nets me nothing less than a top 12 pick (regardless of which of the two), something for a kicker and I'm back in position to go after another passer high in the draft after Love crashes through the on-the-job learning process in 2021.

With Aaron on one of those two rosters it likely puts them just out of reach of the #1 overall pick and increases my odds of getting that pick. I'm either getting that first outright or trying to trade up to it and getting the best possible arm I can in the draft. If Love somehow shows that he is good enough to be the starter long term it changes my approach. Now, I'm looking to start shuffling draft capital around (looking at MIA) to get the table set for a very brief retooling period. Either way, the options that dealing Rodgers presents should be enough of an incentive to send Aaron to an NFL wasteland.

Now, removing my own preference out of this - Could they net more than one first round pick? Possibly, but the market always sets itself regardless of what the actual worth may be. In this instance, the market is set to crash for Aaron's services because the only two teams positioned to make that move are both situations that he may not want to be involved with. That makes it difficult on both ends to seal a deal. The teams are agreed? Great, but what if Aaron just threatens to retire rather than to get dumped on a garbage heap of a situation? He doesn't have a no trade clause so he technically can't hold up the deal, but all he has to do is go public in full blown bitch mode and it pisses in the cola.

 

To me it all depends on how Rodgers is telling these guys he wont be there. If Rodgers is calling them all and saying get out because I am (or any variation of that) then I agree with Tim he crossed a line that cant be uncrossed. Before I trade him however I force his retirement bluff.

Now the other possible scenario is free agents are calling Rodgers and saying hey Im thinking about testing the free agent waters or hey I got a offer from team X what are your thoughts? At this point If Rodgers says hey I really cant give you any advice Im trying to get out of here because there is no way Im playing as here for Gutekunst. Still childish perhaps but not a blatant attempt at sabotage. The way the report reads is the former and not the latter. The downside to just getting rid of him is you set yoursef up for the next guy who isnt happy with the team (granted some guys are easier to move on from than others).

 

QBs are all upset when teams draft their replacement, but they don’t leave the team with a quality back up if they listen to the QB. But it’s a waste of time to draft a possible franchise QB if you have possibly five years left with incumbent.

 

The thing is Aaron has all the power in trade negotiations. All it takes is one comment positive or negative out of Rodgers to swing the compensation. As dumb as Houston has been over the last few years they aren't offering anything of value if Aaron comes out and says, "I'll never play for Houston. I'll retire first."

 

^^^
Further down in the post you quoted.

 

Which is why the Packers, in reality, are the ones holding all the cards if they believe Love to be their future starter. He has a year of learning under his belt, so no better time than the present. If he isn't ready, then they made a terrible choice to take him in the first round. If Aaron stays, patches things up with teammates, the team wins. If he refuses to play and retires, the team wins. The only way they lose is to trade him for less than (2) first round picks and let him keep all the paid bonus money as well as take the cap hit.