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July 2nd marked the final day for NFL players to opt out of the upcoming season, and Aaron Rodgers wasn't on that list of players. Aaron Rodgers' decision to not opt out of the 2021-22 season means the Green Bay Packers vs Aaron Rodgers saga wears on.
The Packers have stood their ground with Aaron Rodgers, sticking to their decision of not trading the veteran quarterback. Meanwhile, Rodgers continues to hold out and is unlikely to report to Green Bay's training camp on July 27th.
How does Rodgers' decision not to opt out impact his trade request? Many believe there's still hope for his return to the Packers. However, there are others who believe that his time in Green Bay is over.
There's an old phrase that comes to mind when thinking of the Rodgers-Packers situation:
"If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."
This is precisely what Aaron Rodgers is doing with the Packers.
As training camps draw closer, the odds of Aaron Rodgers suiting for the Packers appear slim. It still doesn't mean that Green Bay will not call his bluff. Here are three reasons why Aaron Rodgers being traded away by the Green Bay Packers appears unlikely.
Will the Aaron Rodgers-Green Bay Packers saga end in 2021?
It is a picture worth a million words and a million questions that may never be answered. As seen above, Aaron Rodgers is walking into the Packers' training camp field.
Rodgers may or may not show up for the Green Bay Packers training camp, but there are three reasons why an Aaron Rodgers trade is unlikely to happen.
#1 Recent reports state that there isn't a market for Aaron Rodgers right now
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported an update on the trade market for Aaron Rodgers on Friday before the deadline. Fowler noted that Rodgers isn't likely to opt out of the 2021-22 season. He also dropped a massive bomb on the situation when he made this statement:
"I checked in with people around the league this morning. The feeling is that Aaron Rodgers probably won't opt out, but he got that $6.8 million roster bonus in March, so even if that's paid out in installments, he still has it. Maybe that's enough for him to say. I'm going to limit the Packers' options and sit out and make that clear."
Jeremy Fowler broke every social media news feed when he made his following statement on ESPN's Get Up in a tweet:
"Now, I talked to a source who said, 'look, he's the most competitive person in the world, opting out and killing his season right now on July 2nd would be difficult for him to do.' Greeny, I've also checked in with multiple teams around the league who are monitoring the Aaron Rodgers trade situation. They said there is no trade market for Rodgers right now."
The Aaron Rodgers-Green Bay Packers saga may have killed off the player's trade value. All the subtle hints and jabs at the Packers during interviews could've played a role in the no-trade market for Rodgers. It's difficult to say why there's no market for him, but some things happen for a reason.
#2 Aaron Rodgers' top landing spot is going through ownership problems, and the Packers are not budging
The majority of Aaron Rodgers trade rumors have last year's MVP landing with the Denver Broncos.
As things stand right now, the Denver Broncos have bigger fish to fry, with their ownership issue. The Bowlen family members and the three trustees managing the Denver Broncos had a court date set on July 12th. That court date has been moved, and according to Mike Florio, that may never happen.
This means the Denver Broncos could end up in the market to be sold. Here's the issue: the Packers are not interested in trading Rodgers. So they will make it almost impossible for a team to offer a deal worthy of landing the MVP quarterback.
Adding Rodgers does bring excellent curb appeal to the Denver Broncos franchise. But would it be worth the amount Green Bay will want? It's going to take at least two to three first-round picks and another talented piece.
Let's say the Green Bay Packers want three first-round picks and young talent for Rodgers. If Denver agrees to that deal, they will not have a first-round pick until the 2025 NFL draft unless they trade for one. Trading for a first-round pick is a conversation for another rainy day.
Back to the Denver Broncos giving up three first-rounders and a young talented player. Aaron Rodgers will turn 38 in December. He may be the reigning NFL MVP, but would it be worth giving up future picks and young talent for maybe one Super Bowl?
Let's not forget that the Broncos play in the AFC, which is currently dominated by the Chiefs, and the likes of Buffalo, Cleveland and Tennessee are improving every year.
It's difficult to believe that Rodgers can go head-to-head with Mahomes and Allen. If he is able to, Tom Brady could be waiting in the Super Bowl, and the Buccaneers defense gave Rodgers fits in 2020.
As things stand right now, Denver have too many off-the-field problems with their ownership, and the Packers are not budging on trading Rodgers. So that leads to the obvious conclusion that Aaron Rodgers could remain in Green Bay.
#3 NFL teams could stay away from Aaron Rodgers because of his actions with the Green Bay Packers
It's not a secret that Aaron Rodgers hates confrontation. He stays far away from speaking about how he truly feels about a situation. Instead, he either beats around the bush or has other people do the talking for him.
James Jones, a former Green Bay Packers wide receiver and friend of Rodgers, has done more talking about the situation. Rodgers isn't very good in hiding his feelings with his facial expressions. When he's upset, everyone can see that. He drops small punch lines aimed at the Packers, but he never comes out and conveys his actual feelings.
The problems discussed above are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Aaron Rodgers.
NFL franchises pay close attention to the media and what happens with players outside the locker room. Aaron Rodgers hasn't been a saint in this fight between himself and the Packers. He has brought a lot of unwanted attention onto himself on multiple occasions.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler could be 100% correct about his statement. There may not be a trade market for Rodgers right now. When things don't go the way Rodgers thinks they should, he causes issues by threatening to leave or hold out. He has done that multiple times in Green Bay.
So it's not surprising that NFL teams are second-guessing themselves when it comes to trading for Rodgers.
