Aaron Rodgers is a troublesome man to achieve — even for those who’re the Packers’ GM, apparently.
Talking Monday on the NFL homeowners’ conferences in Phoenix, Inexperienced Bay exec Brian Gutekunst claimed his a number of makes an attempt to attach with Rodgers this offseason concerning the future went unanswered, regardless of the 39-year-old quarterback suggesting in any other case.
“I was actually trying ahead to the conversations with Aaron to see how he match into that,” Gutekunst mentioned, according to ESPN.
“These by no means transpired. So there got here a time the place we needed to make some choices, so we went by means of his representatives to attempt to discuss to him [about] the place have been we going with our staff. At that time, they knowledgeable us that he want to be traded to the Jets.”
It’s been a rollercoaster of an offseason for Rodgers, who completed a disappointing 18th season with the Packers in January after failing to make the playoffs.
Though Rodgers didn’t make an instantaneous choice about his future on the time, the four-time NFL MVP vowed he would not hold the team “hostage” as he mulled potential subsequent steps.
Weeks later, Rodgers launched into a four-day darkness retreat.
Across the similar time in February, Gutekunst said Rodgers had not but communicated his plans for the 2023 season.
Gutekunst mentioned Monday the shortage of communication led to the Packers mapping out alternate routes.
“Our lack of ability to achieve him or for him to reply in any approach,” Gutekunst mentioned, “I believe at that time, I needed to do my job and type of attain out [to other teams] and perceive {that a} commerce might be doable and see who was .”
As the brand new league yr approached in March, Rodgers was continuously linked to the Jets, with members of the franchise — led by proprietor Woody Johnson — traveling to Malibu to satisfy with the star quarterback.
Within the days following the assembly, Rodgers revealed his intentions to play for the Jets throughout an look on “The Pat McAfee Present,” the place he additionally wished there had been extra transparency from Inexperienced Bay early within the course of.
“I want that to start with of the offseason that had been the dialog, as a result of I really like direct communication,” mentioned Rodgers, who claimed “there had been slightly little bit of a shift” throughout his isolation retreat.
“If they’d simply mentioned, ‘Pay attention, we predict it’s time to maneuver in a distinct course. We love you. You’re going to be a Packer Corridor of Famer. You’re going to enter the Corridor as a Packer. We’re going to retire your quantity; no matter it is perhaps, however it’s time to maneuver on,’ I’d’ve mentioned, ‘Man, thanks a lot. Only for telling me that. I actually, actually respect that. Meaning the world to me that you’d inform me that.’”
Very like the love Rodgers has expressed for Inexperienced Bay, the Packers have supplied comparable sentiments about their longtime quarterback.
“He means rather a lot to the group. There’s plenty of gratitude there, however these conversations would’ve been good,” Gutekunst mentioned.
As of Tuesday morning, the Jets and Packers haven’t but reached an settlement on a commerce for Rodgers.
Although each organizations are discussing high-draft picks, they remain at an impasse over compensation within the occasion the quarterback doesn’t go well with up past 2023, according to Yahoo Sports.
Within the meantime, Jets followers proceed to push for Rodgers on the Instagram web page of his rumored girlfriend, Bucks heiress Mallory Edens.
