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The ongoing battle between the Green Bay Packers and Aaron Rodgers could come to a halt. Rodgers skipped out on OTAs after his rocky relationship with the Packers reached a climax during the first day of the 2021 NFL Draft.
The QB announced his request for a trade from the Packers. A year prior to his announcement, the Green Bay Packers drafted QB Jordan Love in the first round to replace the much-needed talented WR as everyone anticipated.
The pick left an awful taste in Rodgers' mouth and he took it as a slap in the face to his future with the team.
Green Bay could have been in a better place for a run at the Super Bowl in 2019 if they had a better receiver group for Aaron Rodgers. The 2020 draft class was cluttered with talents such as Tee Higgins, Laviska Shenault, and Chase Claypool.
In fact, the Packers didn't take a WR the entire draft (they did sign a UFDA though). The lack of help for Aaron Rodgers' offense and more focus on the post-Rodgers era has their long-time QB wanting out. Can you blame him?
Aaron Rodgers Has An Option Out of GB With Opt-Out
The Packers have been firm on their stance to not trade Aaron Rodgers or release him. Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio seems to have come up with a path out of Green Bay: opt-out and avoid a financial pitfall.
Upon the COVID-19 pandemic, the NFL allowed players to opt-out of the season if they didn't feel comfortable playing. Rodgers could take an opt-out but wouldn't get the $350,000 stipend for being a high-risk person.
Aaron Rodgers would be able to keep his $18 million in bonuses for the year but would lose his $14 million salary. His yearly salary seems worth the ability to gain leverage over the team and threaten them for a release or trade.
It may seem foolproof, but the Green Bay Packers could call his bluff and not back down from their decision. The team will get back $30 million in cap space if Rodgers opts out, making it a win-win for the Packers. The only downside is they are left with Jordan Love at QB, who hasn't started a game in the NFL yet.
The decision on an opt-out must come before the July 2nd deadline. Aaron Rodgers would likely need more leverage on top of the opt-out and that falls on Love himself. Jordan Love was a first-round pick and the Packers saw something special in the young man.
If Love were to come out of the gate swinging and play like a natural in the NFL, the Packers might be willing to cut Rodgers. He still has 3 years left on his deal and Green Bay wouldn't want to pause Love's success to bring back Rodgers. It's not often you find a successful rookie QB late in the first round.
If everything falls into place for Aaron Rodgers and the Packers decide to trade him after seeing success in Jordan Love, he still won't play this season. After agreeing to an opt-out, the player can't re-enter the league and must fully sit out the entire season.
Teams may shy away from making a big trade for the QB but few could still see value in having Rodgers take a year off and play for them in 2022.
It's still a long-shot that Aaron Rodgers agrees to an opt-out and he hasn't mentioned a word of it to anyone yet. A lot would have to go his way for the opt-out to be worth it, but he doesn't seem worried about his career being at risk.
Aaron Rodgers may just be living his best life this offseason away from football. He's playing golf, taking trips to Hawaii with friends, and may just need a year off to recoup and get his head straight.
If you're a betting man, place a bet on Aaron Rodgers planning an opt-out. Either way, he should benefit from a year away from football, whether or not the Packers trade him afterwards.
Still, Jordan Love is no slouch at QB and there's a strong chance he has a great year with the offense around him and the Packers could finally trade Rodgers before the deadline. Teams like Denver and Washington could be willing to wait until 2022 to use Aaron Rodgers as they sort out their own QB group.
