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When Aaron Rodgers begrudgingly showed up to training camp in August, it was under the condition that he would be given the key to the chain keeping him in Green Bay. Now well into the offseason, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst has said that no one has called to inquire about the quarterback.
Speaking on Pro Football Talk, sportswriter and media personality Mike Florio did not buy Gutekunst's statement. Florio's co-host, Chris Simms, admitted to not putting it together. However, Florio essentially stated that the odds of the quarterback not getting any interest are about as low as could be, citing how the Washington Commanders just inquired about Patrick Mahomes.
Florio said:
“So I'm just, I'm trying to interpret what's in front of us. And what's in front of us is a couple of comments made by Brian Gutekunst in the last week, that would tend to piss off a guy who listens to everything, watches everything, tries to act like he doesn't, but is extra ultra super sensitive about anything anyone says about him."
Florio continued, pointing out that any statement from the Packers general manager would "land on the radar screen for Aaron Rodgers":
"Especially the people who are in his bubble, who are in his realm. And those he already has a not-great relationship with. So, of course, anything Gutekunst says is gonna land on the radar screen for Aaron Rodgers. And this is this idea... Oh, we haven't gotten like, nobody wants him. Like, you know what? No one's called about him."
Florio then went on to say that teams would "line up out the door to get" the Packers quarterback, declaring that Washington clearly called Green Bay for their No. 12:
"'Hey, Aaron. Aaron wants to be traded, sorry. Nobody's called about you.’ I mean, give me a friggin break. They're gonna line up out the door to get Aaron Rodgers if he's available. And if he wants out. And I think they've been waiting except for Washington. That's the thing that makes the logic of this all fall apart. Washington clearly has called.”
Why would Brian Gutekunst mislead the public regarding trade inquiries for Aaron Rodgers?
If the team were hoping to move on from the quarterback, it would be smart to say that he's getting a lot of offers. This would encourage more teams to step up and elevate their offers pre-emptively. However, the general manager denied he was getting any offers.
The only explanation for this would be that the Packers are so desperate to keep the quarterback that they are maintaining that no one wants him at all.
It would also further discourage the quarterback's hopes of leaving. Perhaps Gutekunst can mislead the quarterback into thinking that no one wants him, so he should stay put. If that is the case and Rodgers finds out about this, he could pull some strings and jump over to one of the other NFC North teams to keep the Packers down, eventually leading to Gutekunst's firing.
Of course, this would be a petty move by the quarterback, but Rodgers has been increasingly daring in recent years regarding his relationship with the Packers. If found to be false, Gutekunst's words could turn a cold war into a hot one.
