The Aaron Rodgers Update: No News Is News
It happens occasionally in sports reporting where the lack of new information about an important unresolved issue prompts media outlets to report that nothing happened.
Such is the case with former Cal quarterback Aaron Rodgers and his ongoing dispute with his team, the Green Bay Packers.
When Rodgers was asked during The Match, the made-for-TV golf event, whether he would be taking the first snap of the season for the Packers, Rodgers avoided answering directly with an innocuous response, “I don’t know, we’ll see.”
We at Cal Sport Report opted to highlight Rodgers' 438-yard drive, mentioning Rodgers' status report in passing with a video of his response. We probably used poor news judgment.
NFL.com thought that quote was enough for a story, which carried the headline: “Aaron Rodgers on if he'll return to Packers: 'We'll see' “
The Washington Post did likewise: “Aaron Rodgers on his Packers future: ‘I don’t know. We’ll see’”
So did Milwaukee television station WISN: “Aaron Rodgers on future with Packers: 'We'll see'”
Even Golf Digest, not typically the conveyor of breaking NFL news, chimed in with a report that had this headline “Aaron Rodgers on whether or not he'll be playing for the Packers in September: 'I don't know. We'll see'”
Then on Friday, July 16, came this news blockbuster: Packers president and CEO Mark Murphy said there is “nothing new” on the Aaron Rodgers front.
More specifically, according to SI’s Packers Central, Murphy said this about the Rodgers’ situation during a Zoom interview about the team’s finances, “I appreciate the question. This is really limited to questions regarding financial statements. I would just say there’s nothing new to update on the issue that you raised.”
NFL.com decided it was worth referencing that SI.com story in a report with the headline: “Packers president/CEO Mark Murphy: 'There's nothing new to update' regarding Aaron Rodgers.”
Pro Football Talk did likewise: "Mark Murphy: Nothing new to update on Aaron Rodgers"
Then 247Sports referenced the Pro Football Talk report in an article with the headline: “Mark Murphy says 'nothing new' on Aaron Rodgers situation”
The surprising truth is that these are all legitimate news reports. Rodgers’ stalemate with the Packers, who are refusing to grant his demand to be traded, has been the major story of the NFL offseason, and however it ends will have a sizable impact on the 2021 NFL season.
People – and particularly gamblers – want to know the latest news on the situation. If there is nothing new to report, that itself becomes news, because the longer the situation goes unresolved the more pressure there is on Rodgers and the Packers to reach a solution. People just want to know where – of if – Rodgers will be playing this season.
With July 27 being the date Packers veteran are required to report to camp and July 28 being the date of their first preseason practice, we may get more news that there is no news for the next few days.
So here we are at Cal Sports Report, doing exactly what everyone else is doing: reporting that nothing happened.
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Cover photo of Aaron Rodgers by Mark J. Rebilas, USA TODAY Sports
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Follow Jake Curtis of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jakecurtis53
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