Andrew Brandt: Jordan Love the future, Aaron Rodgers the present for Green Bay Packers
"It's the same issue I dealt with 15 years ago when I was hearing from both the Favre camp and the Rodgers camp with the question they both asked me"
Thursday 30 April 2020 15:26, UK
Andrew Brandt is no stranger to the potentially rocky quarterback transition likely to face the Green Bay Packers in the coming years.
The former Packers executive was in office at the time the organisation selected Aaron Rodgers as Brett Favre's eventual successor in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft.
Rodgers himself was dealt an untimely surprise last week as Green Bay spent their first-round pick on Utah State quarterback Jordan Love. Remind you of something?
While it certainly raises questions over the 36-year-old's future at Lambeau Field, Brandt does not expect Rodgers to move on from the team.
"It doesn't seem like it and obviously his contract goes a few more years," Brandt said. "I think they are still high on him, he is their present. Obviously he is the present and (Jordan) Love is the future.
"But it's the same issue I dealt with 15 years ago when I was hearing from both the Favre camp and the Rodgers camp with the question they both asked me which was, 'When?' Favre's camp is asking, 'When are you looking to move me out and bring in Rodgers?' and Rodgers' camp is asking, 'When are you looking to move Brett out and bring me in?'
"You don't have easy answers to that. Maybe it will be different with Jordan Love and Aaron Rodgers now, but there is no timeframe. Sometimes these things tend to work themselves out.
"Right now it is hard to see the Packers and Rodgers separating, but in a year or two years, who knows?"
The Packers' first-round pick had been viewed as an opportunity to supply Rodgers with another weapon on offense to support what was largely a three-man effort between himself, wide receiver Davante Adams and running back Aaron Jones last season.
In selecting Love it means the team has not drafted a receiver in the first round since 2002, when they took Javon Walker at 20th overall.
Rodgers threw for 4,002 yards, 26 touchdowns and four interceptions last season, and was just one game away from reaching the Super Bowl as the Packers were beaten by the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game. That marked the 10th postseason has has played in, which includes 2010/11 when Green Bay beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV.
Brandt added: "They have had tough experiences in the playoffs with just heart-breakers, I know with still being a fan and my kids being fans, how tough those losses have been.
"And those losses have not been his fault, a lot of defensive lapses. So had we had a great defense all these years, maybe he has got multiple Tom Brady-like championships and then you are talking about him in that category.
"But he is certainly up there, and he will be. I'm not on the belief he is on the downhill slide, I believe Aaron Rodgers is still peaking. So that brings up the question of why draft a quarterback, but you have to be prepared for that eventuality when you need him [Jordan Love]."
