Adam Schefter of ESPN was the one who dropped the Draft Day bomb that Aaron Rodgers wanted out of Green Bay. Ever since, there has been speculation about Rodgers’ relationship with the Packers and what caused the riff. Rumors of his wanting Brian Gutekunst fired were spread throughout social media. As expected, they were quickly refuted by the Packers’ front office. Another rumor that Rodgers told perspective free agents that he was not returning to the Packers was also spread. This, too, was refuted by many more reliable sources.
The Truth Behind the Report
On Thursday, Schefter himself revealed that he had not gotten the information from Aaron Rodgers’ camp or the Packers. Rather, he pieced portions of hearsay together and released the report on Draft Day.
We have Adam on now. He said this was not a breaking report, but an "accumulation of information".
He added Aaron Rodgers/Rodgers' camp was NOT the source of this story.
He told us he chose to post this on draft day, but it's based on info since the season ended to draft day. https://t.co/urKJpWtrEN— Paul Pabst (@PaulPabst) May 6, 2021
In other words, Schefter’s tweet on Draft Day was misleading at best. After all, he said league and team sources gave him the information that very day. It also means that Aaron Rodgers and the Packers have been working through this quietly all offseason. They had no intention of making it public. What this means, among other things, is that if this report had never been released, the Packers and their fans would be going through the offseason as if it were any other. Instead, there is drama that seems to be the creation of the media. Some of Aaron Rodgers’ former teammates have spoken to him. While they acknowledge there are concerns, they are confident that the Packers and the future Hall of Famer will come to an agreement.
AJ Hawk
One of the first people close to Aaron Rodgers who spoke about the topic was AJ Hawk. Hawk, the co-host of The Pat McAfee Show, spent last weekend with the Packers’ quarterback at the Kentucky Derby. On the show, Hawk gave some insight into what he garnered from Rodgers over the weekend. It is important to note: AJ Hawk was not speaking for Rodgers. However, he was shedding some light on what he perceived Rodgers is feeling and also refuted some inaccurate reports.
When asked about whether or not Rodgers wants Brian Gutekunst fired, Hawk said:
More from @OfficialAJHawk on reports that Aaron wants #Packers GM Brian Gutekunst fired
"That's garbage too I think. I definitely do not think that Aaron is out there trying to say fire Gute" #PatMcAfeeShowLIVE pic.twitter.com/37zgncwn7o
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) May 3, 2021
Hawk went onto say that while there is conflict, he is “hopeful” that the Packers and Rodgers will come to an agreement.
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John Kuhn
Another former Packer who was a favorite of the star quarterback, John Kuhn, also was able to speak with the future Hall of Famer this week. Like Hawk, he acknowledged that the Packers and Rodgers are not seeing eye-to-eye. He also verbalized hope that the Packers and Rodgers will work something out:
Former #Packers John Kuhn tells @CBSSportsRadio he's spoken to @AaronRodgers12 this week. "At age 37 he's hoping to insure his career in GB DOES get to 40. He's seen what's happened to other QB's. It may take drastic measures to get there." Still a chance he stays? "Absolutely!"
— Mike Clemens (@MikeClemensNFL) May 6, 2021
James Jones
On Thursday, another former teammate, and current friend, of Aaron Rodgers revealed that he, too, has been talking to the star quarterback about the situation. James Jones, the Packers’ former receiver, said that not only does he think the situation can be fixed, he believes it WILL be fixed:
"Talking to him, this is something that can be fixed, I think it will be fixed…
I think you will see @AaronRodgers12 in a @packers uniform for a very long time" – @89JonesNTAF 👀 pic.twitter.com/5YKZiTBI9d
— NFL Total Access (@NFLTotalAccess) May 6, 2021
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