Aaron Rodgers may come back to play in the NFL next season. If he does, he may play for the Green Bay Packers. Of course, he may not do either. In any case, Rodgers recently finished up his famous darkness retreat in Oregon. With the NFL Combine just days away, the Packers are assuredly going forward with their plan for 2023. Whether or not that plan includes Rodgers remains to be seen. Both Brian Gutekunst and Matt LaFleur have stated that they want him back. Other rumors state the opposite.
In any case, Rodgers has dominated headlines ever since he and the Packers lost to the Detroit Lions in Week 18. One very opinionated and outspoken ESPN personality, Stephen A. Smith, has had enough.
Stephen A. Smith: All Aaron Rodgers Does Is Keep “Talking, Talking, Talking”
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On Friday, Smith had the following to say about Aaron Rodgers:
“Aaron Rodgers seems more committed to making headlines, at this point in his career, than he is to winning. Nobody’s bringing that up. I’m not accusing the man of going out on the football field and not trying to win. But… there are nuggets of intel that we have witnessed over the years that shows that there is more that Aaron Rodgers could have done to facilitate winning. Like being in camp and cultivating relationships with his receivers, etc. etc.
“We’ve talked about these things, okay? In helping bring these dudes along. That’s not what he’s necessarily done. He’s marched to his own beat and his own tune, and that’s what he seems hellbent on doing.
“He seems entertained by the fact that it has created headlines and news. Now I got news for you: I never watch Pat McAfee with Aaron Rodgers. I watch Pat McAfee with everybody else. That’s the one thing I do skip. That’s the one thing I do skip. I have no interest in in seeing Aaron Rodgers on The Pat McAfee Show, because Aaron Rodgers just keeps talking, talking, talking, instead of winning, winning, winning.”
The full segment can be seen below:
Stephen A. Smith: "I have no interest in seeing Aaron Rodgers on The Pat McAfee Show, because Aaron Rodgers just keeps talking, talking, talking, instead of winning, winning, winning." pic.twitter.com/EkE80F2NmQ
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 24, 2023
Well Allow Me to Retort!
Stephen A. Smith has built himself into a household name in sports media. He is wildly successful and I can only dream to have the career he has had. However, his continual criticism of Aaron Rodgers, especially using the talking points he did, is short-sighted.
First of all, if Smith truly does not watch Aaron Rodgers on Pat McAfee, he is limiting himself to just one side of the story. To paraphrase Rodgers, who was paraphrasing a commonly used quote: “There’s your truth, there’s my truth, and the real truth is somewhere in the middle.” How can Smith, a well-decorated journalist, so freely admit to limiting himself to one side of the story?
Second of all, the entire notion that Rodgers does not help bring young players along has been debunked by numerous current and former teammates on countless occasions. For example, former Packers quarterback Brett Hundley had this to say about Rodgers in an interview he did with me last week:
“Honestly, my time with Aaron was a great time. I give so much to him and also Green Bay so much credit, because that is where I became a quarterback. Aaron taught me how to be a true quarterback in the league. Aaron was a true leader and a great person at that. He had us over to his house, and he spent time with all of us. Spent Thanksgiving with him at his house. Holidays. He was a really awesome teammate.
“Thank you for letting me speak on that because I see all that stuff come out, and I’m like, ‘Nah.’ That’s not true. I still talk to Aaron to this day; that’s my brother.”
Finally, I suppose Smith and other pundits are free to think so highly of themselves, almighty media personalities, and that Rodgers, poor, small four-time MVP quarterback, craves their attention. If Smith were to watch Rodgers on Pat McAfee, he would hear that Rodgers does, in fact, not care. Rodgers does, indeed, find it irritating. Perhaps there is a reason that the future Hall of Famer has made Pat McAfee his go-to platform to share news about himself and his opinions.
Maybe the problem is that Smith and company over at ESPN are jealous.
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FAQs
Will the Green Bay Packers Make the 2023 NFL Playoffs?
According to sportsbooks, the Green Bay Packers are currently ninth overall (+3000) to win the 2024 Super Bowl. This is the highest among 2022 non-playoff teams, signaling they’ll be playoff-bound.
Who Do the Green Bay Packers Play in 2023?
Aside from their divisional opponents (Vikings, Lions, and Bears), whom they place twice, the Packers play the Saints, Buccaneers, Chiefs, Chargers, and Rams at home in 2023. They’ll travel on the road to face the Falcons, Panthers, Broncos, Raiders, Giants, and Steelers.
Who Owns the Green Bay Packers?
The team is owned by Green Bay Packers, Inc., a publicly owned and traded non-profit. There are currently over 360,000 stockholders. Mark Murphy currently holds the role of Packers president and CEO, with plans to retire in 2025.
How Many Super Bowls Have the Packers Won?
The Packers have won four Super Bowls. These victories include Super Bowl 1 and Super Bowl 2 after the 1966 and 1967 seasons. Their next title came in Super Bowl 31, following the 1996 season. Their most recent championship was Super Bowl 45, crowning them the winners of the 2010 season.
