Packers ‘Absolutely’ Committed to Rodgers Beyond 2021
GREEN BAY, Wis. – Aaron Rodgers remains the Green Bay Packers’ quarterback well into the future, general manager Brian Gutekunst and coach Matt LaFleur made abundantly clear during their season-ending news conferences on Monday.
Gutekunst’s decision to select Jordan Love with his first-round pick last year flung open the door that Rodgers’ time as the franchise quarterback could be coming to an end. And Rodgers acknowledged that elephant in room after last week’s loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Championship Game by recognizing his own “uncertain” future with the team.
Gutekunst and LaFleur put to rest the speculation, and potentially put their quarterback’s mind at ease, on Monday morning.
Asked if Rodgers would be the quarterback in 2021 and beyond, LaFleur didn’t leave any gray area.
“Absolutely. There’s no doubt about it,” he said. “You’re talking about the guy that’s going to win the MVP of the league. We’re not in this position without him. I couldn’t be happier with not only his performance but how he led our football team, all the little things he does within that locker room to ensure that everybody is locked in, focused and ready to go. Absolutely, he will be here for a long time.
“I know I’ve said that before, but a long time.”
Speaking after LaFleur, Gutekunst – the man who ultimately will determine Rodgers’ future – made it clear Rodgers’ future with the team will extend beyond 2021, which from a dollars-and-cents perspective is when a parting of the ways with Rodgers and the transition to Love would have been the most logical.
When Gutekunst drafted Love, Rodgers was coming off three so-so seasons. With a second broken collarbone in 2017 and the knee injury that he played through in 2018, there were some durability concerns, too. Even though the Packers made it to the NFC Championship Game last year, Rodgers’ statistical performance under LaFleur was on par with his final season under Mike McCarthy.
In Year 2 under LaFleur, Rodgers flourished with not only one of the best seasons of his career but in NFL history. Having been named the first-team All-Pro quarterback by a landslide, he is expected to win his third MVP award on Saturday.
While the Packers lost in another conference championship game, Gutekunst is focused on taking the next step with Rodgers and not turning the page.
“Obviously he’s under contract, and he’s playing at an extremely high level,” he said. “What we’re trying to do as an organization and what we’re trying to accomplish, we can’t do without Aaron Rodgers right now. He’s such a part of what we’ve done. He’s such a part of what we’re doing right now and certainly in the future.”
The two mentions of “right now” were the only slightest bits of gray area uttered by Gutekunst and LaFleur on Monday. And, to be sure, “the future” can be fleeting based on injury and performance, but the presumptive three-time MVP seemingly isn’t being viewed as merely the quarterback for now or the placeholder quarterback until Love is ready. Instead, Gutekunst spoke of Love merely as a developmental piece and potential insurance policy should Rodgers get injured.
With Rodgers back on top of his game, the Packers seem prepared to ride the golden right arm of No. 12 deep into the future – perhaps through 2023, when Rodgers will be 40 and his contract is set to expire.
“I think that he is arguably the best player that I’ve ever seen or been around,” Gutekunst said. “The chances he gives us week in and week out are significant, so he’s going to be part of our future and we look forward to all the runs we’re going to try to make here over the next few years.”
