Brian Gutekunst tried to have conversations with Aaron Rodgers
Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst decided to move on from quarterback Aaron Rodgers as a starter this offseason. The Packers and New York Jets are in talks to get a deal done this offseason, although the two teams are still far apart in negotiations. Rodgers recently commented on the Packers wanting to move on from him this offseason. Gutekunst appears to have a different take.
Rodgers said two weeks ago on the Pat McAfee show that the Packers told him to take his time before deciding on the 2023 season. Rodgers took aim at the Packers’ communication during the process in the offseason. The four-time NFL MVP felt like something had changed when he emerged from the darkness retreat, per WSH Media files:
”When I got out of Darkness…something changed. There was a shift, I heard that they were shopping me. When I went into the darkness, I was 90% retired, 10% playing.”
Gutekunst’s side of the story
Gutekunst talked to reporters at the Annual League Meeting on Monday. He appeared to dispute Rodgers’ comments on not communicating clearly and wanting to shop him in the offseason. According to a video posted by Matt Schneidman with The Athletic, Gutekunst said he reached out to Rodgers to discuss where he fit with the Packers’ plans for the 2023 season. But Rodgers didn’t respond to Gutekunst in what his boss felt was a timely fashion. Gutekunst had to move on, knowing a trade was a possibility:
“Our inability to reach him or for him to respond in any way — I think at that point … I had to do my job.”
Brian Gutekunst said he tried to contact Aaron Rodgers “many times” this offseason to discuss how he fit in the Packers’ future.
“Our inability to reach him or for him to respond in any way — I think at that point … I had to do my job.”
Full comments: pic.twitter.com/K8aGGdVhOn
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) March 27, 2023
We now have two different sides to the story. Clearly, there was a communication breakdown between the Packers and Rodgers. The result will have Jordan Love being the full-time starter in Green Bay. Rodgers should be a Jets quarterback soon enough. Although, according to Tom Pelissero with the NFL Network, Gutekunst left an option on the table for Rodgers to play again as a Packers quarterback.
#Packers GM Brian Gutekunst just met with a small group of media here in Phoenix.
– No timeline on trading Aaron Rodgers, hoping soon
– Doesn’t necessarily need a first-round pick
– Any chance Rodgers plays for GB again? Not trending that way but “all options are on the table”— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 27, 2023
