Aaron Rodgers pummels Packers front office in viral press conference
Green Bay Packers
Aaron Rodgers is back with the Green Bay for the 2021 season, but if his words about the franchise and how it operates are any indication of what's in store for beyond this season, then it's not good for Packers fans.
Rodgers ripped Green Bay's front office, not only for how it has treated veteran players in recent years, but also for failing to involve him in discussions about improving the roster around him. Here's a recap of what Rodgers had to say:
Didn't like how Packers treated veterans
"I wanted to help the organization maybe learn from some of the mistakes in the past, ... about the way some of the outgoing veterans were treated and just the fact that we didn't retain a number of players who i felt like were core players to our foundation, our locker room. High character guys," he said.
"I'm talking about Charles Woodson, Jordy Nelson, Julius Peppers, Clay Matthews, Randall Cobb, James Jones, John Kuhn, Brett Gud, T.J. Lang, Bryan Bulaga, Casey Hayward, Micah Hyde. Guys who were exceptional players for us, great locker room guys, high character guys. Many of them whom weren't offered a contract at all or were extremely low-balled, or were, maybe in my opinion, not given the respect that guys of their status and stature and high character deserved."
Thought he could help bring free agents to Green Bay: 'Not a vacation destination'
"That really wasn't given at any time. For me, I had to assess the situation. Not necessarily wanting to be a lame-duck QB, especially after an MVP season," He said, noting that he also wanted to be involved in free-agent conversations.
"I think we can all understand, Green Bay isn't a huge vacation destination. People are coming here to play with me, to play with our team and knowing that they can win a championship here.
"I felt like based on my years, the way I can still play, that that should be a natural part of the conversation. As that progressed from that point, nothing really changed from that front. So we got into March, the conversation changed.
"As I felt like, if you can't commit to me past 2021 and I'm not a part of recruiting process and free agency, if I'm not a part of the future, then instead of letting be a lame-duck quarterback, if you want to make a change and move forward, then go ahead and do it. That didn't happen."
Any chance he plays with the Packers next year?
"I really don't know. I think things in that direction haven't really changed at all. I'm just going to focus on this year. There's a lot of moving pieces besides myself," he said. "I'm just going to enjoy this year, then revisit that conversation at the end of the season."
Does he want play his entire career with the Packers?
"Based on them drafting my replacement, J-Lo (Jordan Love) last year, I think that kind of put things in motion. Based on the way the season went last year, there was nothing that made me confident that I'd be back after 2021, and maybe 2020."
'Maybe run it by me': He wants to be involved in decision-making
"The organization looks at me and my job as just to play," he said. "You should tie myself to a little bit more input. The rules are the same for most people, but every now and then there are some outliers."
"I'm not asking for anything that any other great quarterbacks across the last few decades have not gotten," he added.
Does he want to be in Green Bay now?
"I do. I love my teammates, I love the city. I love my coaches. It is a lot of fun to be back here, and like I said I'm competitive," he said. "I understand the opportunity that's here."
