I was going to post this in the existing thread but Jeez I'm ready to move on after that pile of dung we watched on Saturday night. Here's an excerpt I ran across that is a good thought-starter authored by Tim Backes.
By now, if you’re a long-time Packer fan you’re used to heartbreak and disappointment in January.
But this… this is something new. Because normally fans can fall back on “we’ll get em next year.”
This time? Not so much.
The Packers’ financial situation makes it incredibly difficult for the team to bring back all or even many of its key players from the 2020 and 2021 teams. There are simply too many players to pay, and they’re already in a massive hole.
Rodgers’ future has been up in the air since the moment the Packers drafted Jordan Love in May 2020. And now, the path forward is as clear as it’s ever been.
If Rodgers and the Packers cannot win a Super Bowl with the 2020 and 2021 teams, it’s never going to happen again as long as Rodgers is in Green Bay.
Two years with the top seed and homefield advantage, plus an outstanding supporting cast. This year, the team got healthy at the right time and put together the finest defensive performance in a postseason game in at least a decade, and quite possibly longer.
Yes, the special teams was atrocious and resulted in points on the board. But the inescapable truth is that after the first drive of the game, Rodgers could only lead the Packers to three more points in a primetime, must-win home game against an inferior opponent.
The game is up. Rodgers did not seem interested in playing within the offense, and when the going got tough he only honed in even more on Adams.
With the money both Rodgers and Adams would command, it is highly unlikely both would be back in 2022, and impossible that the team would be able to field a roster as strong as this one, particularly on the defensive side of the ball.
With his awful performance against San Francisco, Rodgers gave the Packers all the clarity they need to make their decision moving forward. And the irony is it’s a situation very similar to that of his predecessor.
In January 2008, Brett Favre looked old, cold and checked out against the New York Giants. After that game, the Packers’ brass knew they needed to make the transition to the next era.
The same takeaway will come from Saturday Night’s loss to the 49ers and Aaron Rodgers’ performance. Rodgers failed to deliver two years in a row in ideal circumstances, even after MVP-level regular season performances. So long as he remains on the team, it’s going to be difficult to impossible to build another team around him capable of contending within the time he has left in his career.
For his part, Rodgers already said in his postgame comments that he’s not interested in sticking around for a rebuild. This rebuild would, of course, be necessary largely due to Rodgers himself, as the Packers sold out on the 2021 season to try to make one last run during his championship window.
But these comments essentially give the Packers all the permission they need to do the difficult but correct thing and move on.
Aaron Rodgers’ price on the trade market will never be higher than it is right now. He’s not getting any younger. He’s coming off (presumably) two consecutive MVP seasons. There are always teams willing to give up mega assets for elite quarterback play.
The kind of haul the Packers get in return for Rodgers could help shorten the rebuild and set Jordan Love up for more potential success.
The money saved from paying Rodgers and Adams would go a long way toward solving the Packers’ cap crisis in 2022, though there are certainly plenty more steps the team would need to take to get back above water.
But it would help the Packers keep much of the defensive nucleus intact. With a good defense, a good offensive line and the best running back duo in the league, Love will have quite a bit of support in his first year as a starter. The Packers can use draft assets to beef up the wide receiver position and restock in some of the areas where they will be losing people this offseason.
Rodgers has been a Green Bay Packer for 17 years, longer than anyone else has worn the green and gold. It was never going to last forever.
If the team truly wishes to contend again within a reasonable timeframe, then it must do the right thing this offseason: move Rodgers for big-time assets and get a fresh start entering a brand new era.
If you try to run it back, you’re just asking for more disappointment. The harsh truth is this: the Green Bay Packers’ potential for future success no longer includes Aaron Rodgers.
__________________________
Tim Backes is a lifelong Packer fan and a contributor. Follow him on Twitter @timbackes for his Packer takes, random musings and Untappd beer check-ins.
By now, if you’re a long-time Packer fan you’re used to heartbreak and disappointment in January.
But this… this is something new. Because normally fans can fall back on “we’ll get em next year.”
This time? Not so much.
The Packers’ financial situation makes it incredibly difficult for the team to bring back all or even many of its key players from the 2020 and 2021 teams. There are simply too many players to pay, and they’re already in a massive hole.
Rodgers’ future has been up in the air since the moment the Packers drafted Jordan Love in May 2020. And now, the path forward is as clear as it’s ever been.
If Rodgers and the Packers cannot win a Super Bowl with the 2020 and 2021 teams, it’s never going to happen again as long as Rodgers is in Green Bay.
Two years with the top seed and homefield advantage, plus an outstanding supporting cast. This year, the team got healthy at the right time and put together the finest defensive performance in a postseason game in at least a decade, and quite possibly longer.
Yes, the special teams was atrocious and resulted in points on the board. But the inescapable truth is that after the first drive of the game, Rodgers could only lead the Packers to three more points in a primetime, must-win home game against an inferior opponent.
The game is up. Rodgers did not seem interested in playing within the offense, and when the going got tough he only honed in even more on Adams.
With the money both Rodgers and Adams would command, it is highly unlikely both would be back in 2022, and impossible that the team would be able to field a roster as strong as this one, particularly on the defensive side of the ball.
With his awful performance against San Francisco, Rodgers gave the Packers all the clarity they need to make their decision moving forward. And the irony is it’s a situation very similar to that of his predecessor.
In January 2008, Brett Favre looked old, cold and checked out against the New York Giants. After that game, the Packers’ brass knew they needed to make the transition to the next era.
The same takeaway will come from Saturday Night’s loss to the 49ers and Aaron Rodgers’ performance. Rodgers failed to deliver two years in a row in ideal circumstances, even after MVP-level regular season performances. So long as he remains on the team, it’s going to be difficult to impossible to build another team around him capable of contending within the time he has left in his career.
For his part, Rodgers already said in his postgame comments that he’s not interested in sticking around for a rebuild. This rebuild would, of course, be necessary largely due to Rodgers himself, as the Packers sold out on the 2021 season to try to make one last run during his championship window.
But these comments essentially give the Packers all the permission they need to do the difficult but correct thing and move on.
Aaron Rodgers’ price on the trade market will never be higher than it is right now. He’s not getting any younger. He’s coming off (presumably) two consecutive MVP seasons. There are always teams willing to give up mega assets for elite quarterback play.
The kind of haul the Packers get in return for Rodgers could help shorten the rebuild and set Jordan Love up for more potential success.
The money saved from paying Rodgers and Adams would go a long way toward solving the Packers’ cap crisis in 2022, though there are certainly plenty more steps the team would need to take to get back above water.
But it would help the Packers keep much of the defensive nucleus intact. With a good defense, a good offensive line and the best running back duo in the league, Love will have quite a bit of support in his first year as a starter. The Packers can use draft assets to beef up the wide receiver position and restock in some of the areas where they will be losing people this offseason.
Rodgers has been a Green Bay Packer for 17 years, longer than anyone else has worn the green and gold. It was never going to last forever.
If the team truly wishes to contend again within a reasonable timeframe, then it must do the right thing this offseason: move Rodgers for big-time assets and get a fresh start entering a brand new era.
If you try to run it back, you’re just asking for more disappointment. The harsh truth is this: the Green Bay Packers’ potential for future success no longer includes Aaron Rodgers.
__________________________
Tim Backes is a lifelong Packer fan and a contributor. Follow him on Twitter @timbackes for his Packer takes, random musings and Untappd beer check-ins.
