The Green Bay Packers are in the midst of a dramatic offseason. Aaron Rodgers has requested a trade to the New York Jets as the Packers’ front office has made it clear they are ready to move on to Jordan Love. After an 8-9 season, it was clear that changes needed to be made.
What exactly went wrong in 2022? After all, Rodgers was coming off of two consecutive MVP seasons and signed a three-year $150 million contract. If the Packers and Rodgers are so willing to call it quits after 18 years, something drastic must have happened. It is possible that the improvements Love made in his third season were enough. After all, Love was drafted after Rodgers’ had one of his “down” seasons. It stands to reason that after another down year, Love would be given the job.
That being said, former Packers fullback John Kuhn theorizes that it was actually the Davante Adams trade that played a huge part in creating this current situation.
A Look Back at the Green Bay Packers-Davante Adams-Aaron Rodgers Timeline
Apc Green Bay Packers Vs Browns 22106 122521wag
Before we get into Kuhn’s theory, it is important to remember the timeline of events. The Denver Broncos were rumored to be interested in trading for Rodgers. They hired Nathaniel Hackett as their head coach in an attempt to lure Rodgers away from Green Bay. Unfortunately for them, that did not work.
Rodgers and the Packers agreed to that massive contract in March of 2022. At the time, Adams was still, technically, on the roster. Despite his pending free agency, the Packers announced that they would use the franchise tag on him. It was not until later, close to the NFL Draft, that Adams made it known that he would not play under the tag and that he wanted to be traded. As a result, the Broncos traded multiple draft picks and players for Russell Wilson.
Despite a massive contract offer from the Packers that would have paid him over $30 million a year, Adams remained firm in his desire to be traded. Somehow, general manager Brian Gutekunst was able to get a first and second round pick for him. Typically, teams do not give up that much for a player that has demanded a trade.
John Kuhn Does Not Think the Packers Would Have Extended Aaron Rodgers If Davante Adams Had Been Gone
Would the Packers and Rodgers have agreed to that contract had they known Adams would turn down a record-setting contract? John Kuhn is not so sure:
“There’s a lot of difference between the Russell Wilson trade that was, you know, was a king’s ransom to the Seattle Seahawks, you know, for Geno Smith who played well. But they didn’t make the Playoffs. No wait, they did make the Playoffs.
“They played well, they got a bunch of picks, they’re high up in the draft this year. They’re reporting they’re going to get a quarterback in this draft, or at least a rookie quarterback that can potentially start down the road behind Geno Smith.
“But they’re going to compare last year’s trade with the Seahawks and the Broncos. A lot of people are seeing this as the first time the Packers trading a player one year too late instead of one year too early. That’s going to be the comparison. It’s always going to be Aaron Rodgers trade compensation with the New York Jets against what the Seattle Seahawks got from the Denver Broncos.
“If you could go back in time and do this trade, and I have maintained this, I think that the Davante Adams trade last year threw both the Packers Aaron Rodgers for a loop. The Packers may have made the trade last year for Aaron Rodgers. They may have made that trade if Davante Adams was not a part of the team when they did the deal with Aaron Rodgers.
“I think that was the card that caused this whole house of cards to fall apart last year.”
Kuhn’s theory does make a lot of sense. After all, the 2022 season ended up being a massive disappointment. When he signed the contract, Rodgers was certain that he would be returning and throwing to his favorite target. Instead, he had Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb, and some rookie wide receivers. In hindsight, it is easy to see that Rodgers was not 100% committed to the season. Despite what he has and will say on the matter, his refusal to workout with the new young wide receivers should have been a warning.
That is not to say that he was a bad teammate to them or did not teach them once training camp began. He cannot say, however, that he did everything that he could. And if the Packers knew he was not going to do everything that he could, they almost certainly would have traded him.
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