Aaron Rodgers explains discontent with Green Bay Packers: 'It was never about Jordan Love"
MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers says his uncertain future with the Green Bay Packers has never been about the organisation's decision to draft Jordan Love: "It's just kind of about a philosophy and maybe forgetting that it is about the people that make the thing go."
Tuesday 25 May 2021 07:42, UK
Aaron Rodgers shed further light on the biggest saga of the NFL offseason on Monday as he cited 'philosophy' and 'culture' as leading components to his frustration with the Green Bay Packers organisation.
The reigning league MVP's future at Lambeau Field was plunged into doubt on the first day of the 2021 NFL Draft when reports emerged suggesting he had informed people behind the scenes in Green Bay that he did not wish to return with the team.
One theory for Rodgers' discontent had been the Packers' decision to draft quarterback Jordan Love with the 26th overall pick in 2020 as opposed to an offensive weapon, while another centered around a dispute surrounding his contract. There too was the suggestion his unrest was related to Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst and a desire to have more of a say in personnel decisions.
In an appearance on SportsCenter on Monday night, recognising Kenny Mayne's final show on ESPN, Rodgers admitted it was about 'doing things the right way'.
"With my situation, look it's never been about the draft pick, picking Jordan," said Rodgers. "I love Jordan, he's a great kid. [We've had] a lot of fun to work together. Love the coaching staff, love my teammates, love the fan base in Green Bay. An incredible 16 years. It's just kind of about a philosophy and maybe forgetting that it is about the people that make the thing go. It's about character, it's about culture, it's about doing things the right way."
"A lot of this was put in motion last year, and the wrench was just kind of thrown into it when I won MVP and played the way I played last yearr. This is just kind of, I think, a spill-out of all that. But it is about the people, and that's the most important thing.
"Green Bay has always been about the people, from Curly Lambeau being owner and founder to the '60s with [Vince] Lombardi and Bart Starr and all those incredible names to the '90s teams with coach [Mike] Holmgren and Favrey [Brett Favre] and the Minister of Defense [Reggie White] to the run that we've been on. It's about the people."
Rodgers delivered a league-high 48 touchdown passes in his MVP 2020 campaign, leading the Packers to a second successive NFC Championship game where they were beaten by the eventual Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Packers extended their streak of having not drafted a first-round wide receiver since 2002 this year, electing to use the No. 29 pick on Georgia cornerback Eric Stokes. They did, however, provide their quarterback with some added firepower in round three by selecting Clemson wideout Amari Rodgers, their matching initials making for fitting headlines.
General manager Gutekunst was quick to downplay the prospect of trading Rodgers following the reports of his unrest.
Rodgers continued: "I think sometimes people forget what really makes an organisation. History is important, legacy of so many people who've come before you. But the people, that's the most important thing. People make an organisation, people make a business and sometimes that gets forgotten. Culture is built brick by brick, the foundation of it by the people, not by the organisation, not by the building, not by the corporation. It's built by the people.
"I've been fortunate enough to play with a number of amazing, amazing people and got to work for some amazing people as well. It's those people that build the foundation of those entities. I think sometimes we forget that."
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