Aaron Rodgers has finally broken his silence and returned to the Green Bay Packers, giving a candid press conference last week.
The Packers quarterback has been at odds with the organization and said he considered retiring this past offseason but is expected to play in 2021.
One major issue he had with the Packers’ front office was his lack of involvement in recruiting during his entire 16-year career with the team. This frustration eventually boiled down in 2020 when the team drafted quarterback Jordan Love, his presumed successor and eventual replacement. Rodgers felt blindsided by the move because the team did so without letting him know about their plans to draft another quarterback.
“Green Bay isn’t a huge vacation destination,” Rodgers said. “People are coming here to play with me and play with our team knowing they can win a championship here and the fact that I haven’t been used in those discussions was one I wanted to change moving forward.”
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Rodgers told the organization that he wanted to be more involved with recruiting. But by March, he was frustrated by their lack of commitment to him.
The Packers and Rodgers agreed to the terms of his contract to bring him back to training camp. But it would leave Rodgers the option of leaving Green Bay in 2022.
“If you can’t commit to me past 2021, and I’m not a part of the recruiting process and free agency … if I’m not a part of the future, then instead of letting me be a lame-duck quarterback if you want to make a change and move forward then go ahead and do it,” Rodgers said in the press conference.
In the press conference, the quarterback revealed that he was frustrated with the organizations’ treatment of his teammates. He believes that veterans like Charles Woodson, Jordy Nelson, Julius Peppers, Clay Matthews and others weren’t treated with the respect they deserved.
“Great locker room guys, high-character guys who weren’t offered a contract at all or were extremely low-balled or, maybe in my opinion, not given the respect on the way out that guys of their status and stature and high character deserved,” Rodgers said.
Despite the issues with the organization, he still wants to play for them.
“I love this team, I love the fans, and the opportunity to play on Lambeau Field has been a dream come true, and to be in my 17th season is really special,” the quarterback stated.
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