A recent article written by Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated that revealed multiple secrets regarding the Aaron Rodgers trade between the Green Bay Packers and New York Jets has the NFL world buzzing. Among the secrets revealed in the article was the timing at which the Packers decided to move on from older players, who may or may not have been responsible for missed meetings, and what Rodgers did to make trade talks difficult. On Tuesday’s “Nine 2 Noon” show on 97.3 The Game, Packers Hall of Famer John Kuhn and Wisconsin Badgers basketball legend Brian Butch both had some strong takes on what was revealed.
John Kuhn and Brian Butch Address Secrets Regarding the Green Bay Packers and Aaron Rodgers
As former professional athletes, Kuhn and Butch have very unique perspectives on how players and front offices act and react. This experience makes both of their opinions on this topic very intriguing.
John Kuhn
“My take was this: how early the Packers decided they were going to go through a youth movement. It was January! The season wasn’t even done! The body of the 2022 season wasn’t even in the ground yet, and the Packers were already going through a youth movement which potentially meant, potentially, that they needed to shop Aaron Rodgers around.
“Rodgers clearly knew this was happening in late January, before he did his darkness retreat. Um, [he] had the inclination, an inkling that this was going to happen, he revealed in a McAfee interview. Had that feel that was going to be the way it was with them, and decided, ‘You know what, ‘I’m just going to make this difficult. I’m not going to stop it from happening, I don’t have the leverage to do that.’
‘I’m a quarterback with a lot of power over the last two years, but right now I’m powerless. The only power I have is that I’m going to make this uncomfortable, awkward, and tedious for you.’
“Aaron Rodgers chose to make this tedious for the Green Bay Packers to try to get this done.”
This is a very interesting take, and it certainly seems accurate in terms of what fans have been able to observe and assume about Rodgers over the past couple of seasons. While Rodgers has said all the right things about the fans, his teammates, and the organization on his way out, he has also gone out of his way to throw the organization under the bus when given the chance. Kuhn knows Rodgers, and while he is not part of the “inner circle,” his thoughts of Rodgers’ approach to the trade negotiations is probably accurate.
Brian Butch
“This was a childish act by Aaron Rodgers not to show up [to a meeting with Brian Gutekunst], let’s be honest. If your boss tells you, uh, well you know you’re probably getting fired, whatever. You’re just not going to show up if you’re a normal worker?
“Now I know people are going to say, ‘He’s not a normal worker.’ That’s fine. But when your boss calls a meeting, you’re not going to show up? Like, this is childish by Aaron. It really was.”
Butch brings up a very good point. At the end of the day, the NFL is a business and the players are employees. In what other line of work could a worker blow off a meeting with their boss and not face consequences?
For more of their thoughts on the trade, the Packers’ offense in 2023, and on the NBA Playoffs (find out what Miami Heat player Butch calls a flopper), listen to the whole show at the link above.
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