"I Think I Can Win MVP Again In The Right Situation. Is That Green Bay Or Somewhere Else, I’m Not Sure" - To No Surprise Aaron Rodgers Dropped Some More Ambiguous Lines Regarding His Unknown Future
Oh you thought the Aaron Rodgers offseason speculation train wouldn't be full speed ahead already? Wrong. Dead wrong.
That right there is the quote that has everyone in the football world's head spinning. Now listen, it's hard to see Rodgers turning back to MVP form as a Packer after what we saw in 2022, but is it impossible? He's done it before when people thought he was cooked and then proceeded to rattle off back to back MVP campaigns. This past season he reverted back to a shell of himself missing throws you'd never imagine were possible with his skill level. He resembled more a game manager than ever before, and at 39 years old that makes sense. Could he bounce back AGAIN? I think they'd actually have to help him out and add weapons if that were to happen rather than just hoping the magic returns. Can't just run this bad boy back and hope for the best. Have they ever showed any interest in doing that? Heavens no, they'll draft a linebacker or a lineman and call it a day like every year.
Now is Rodgers saying he thinks on another team in another situation he can be the best quarterback in football again? Is that Rodgers saying the Packers need to add a few guys to be where they need to be? Either way it's exhausting. Why does he have to give that ambiguous answer that makes you feel like you're watching the end of Inception and then reading hours of Reddit wondering if the spinning top was about to fall or not? It was 100% going down by the way.
I understand he's got to make a decision about his future and that's going to take some time. It's a major life move, there's no reason he has to give us an answer on January 18th while the NFL postseason still has weeks to go. But spare us with these kind of answers for the love of God. For one offseason I'd love to not buy a ticket to the media circus that is gonna come with Rodgers' decision. It really is Favre all over again.
Quick fun fact: The first time Favre retired I was at 76ers basketball sleep away camp in middle of nowhere as a young kid with no cell phone. My dad called me on the land line there and gave me the news. That was not a fun day.
With that being said, while we're here let's try to decipher some more of what he said.
Okay what's very clear is that Rodgers wants his boys back. There's no way he entertains a 2023 season in Green Bay if his guys aren't part of the picture. Does bringing a guy like Randall Cobb back who played less than half the snaps in their do or die game against Detroit help them win? 12 will tell you he's a glue guy, but maybe it's time to add talented skill position guys? With the way they finished the season, sans the Detroit game, if they add a few new pieces to the puzzle he likely thinks that puts them back in position to truly contend for a Lombardi. He might not be wrong, but the love affair with his friends has ran its course a bit.
The Packers QB also talked about wanting both sides to be actually invested in the plan moving forward. Kinda makes me think he believes the Green Bay front office would rather move on from him than do this song and dance all over again.
As of right now I'm okay with any direction they go in, as long as we know the deal soon. Just get it over with. If it's the end of the Rodgers era then my soul is ready for a new beginning. We haven't seen a whole lot of Jordan Love, but at this point I'm good with giving him a real chance. The more I think about it, seeing what the kid's got would be a lot of fun. If Rodgers decides he wants to be back then at least that means the plan is to go for it again. You reload, work around the cap to add a good veteran WR (maybe trade for Nuke?), and give it another go. The cap hit is a nightmare either way you play it unless Rodgers retires. At the moment that feels like the less likely of the three options, but what do I know?
On behalf of all Packers fans out there I just beg this wild goose chase to be done with as soon as humanly possible. Give us an answer and let's get ready for the draft.
P.S. Time may very well just be one big flat circle.
Probably not, but maybe?