Aaron Rodgers' Unhappiness is Good News For The Vikings

The Packers' decision to trade up and select Utah State QB Jordan Love was the most shocking move of the first round of April's draft. Not only is Love a polarizing prospect, but the Packers already have one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time as their starter.

Aaron Rodgers is 36 now and has stated that he wants to play into his 40s. But after the Packers drafted Love, Rodgers has acknowledged that finishing his career in Green Bay "may not be a reality" anymore. That's good news for the Vikings.

On Friday, Rodgers spoke to Green Bay media and explained his reaction to the move.

“I think the general reaction at first was surprise like many people,” Rodgers said. “You know, obviously, I’m not going to say that I was thrilled by the pick necessarily. But I understand. The organization is thinking not only about the present but about the future. And I respect that. I understand their focus and their mind-set and, obviously, they thought that he was such a great talent that they needed to go up and get him. So, like I said, generally surprised, but it’s what those guys are paid to do, to put together a roster for now and for the future as well."

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Rodgers is under contract through 2023 with the Packers, who were a game away from reaching the Super Bowl last year. So even though he knew it was a possibility that the team would one day draft his replacement, it came as a surprise given the timing. It was a pick that does nothing to help the Packers get better in 2020, and one that creates serious doubt over whether or not Rodgers will finish his career with the organization that drafted him in 2005.

“It was more the surprise of the pick based on my own feelings of wanting to play into my 40s and then really the realization that it does change the controllables a little bit because, as much as I feel confident in my abilities and what I can accomplish and what we can accomplish, there are some new factors that are out of my control,” Rodgers said. “And so my sincere desire to start and finish with the same organization, just as it has with many other players over the years, may not be a reality at this point. And as much as I understand the organization’s future outlook and wanting to make sure they’re thinking about the team now and down the line, and I respect that, at the same time I still believe in myself and I have a strong desire to play into my 40s. I’m just not sure how that all works together at this point.”

All of this should make the Vikings very happy. It's fun to joke about Rodgers coming to play in Minnesota like Brett Favre once did, but that's almost certainly not happening again. Simply getting Rodgers away from Green Bay as soon as possible would be a win for the Vikings.

In 22 full games against the Vikings over his career, Rodgers is 14-7-1. He has thrown 43 touchdowns with just 7 interceptions during those games, with a completion percentage of 67.7 and a passer rating of 107.2. Many of those big games came between 2009 and 2012 before the arrival of Mike Zimmer in Minnesota, but still.

It's possible Love will become the next Rodgers, but that seems unlikely given the decision-making flaws he demonstrated last season. If this decision from GM Brian Gutekunst results in Rodgers heading out of Green Bay sooner rather than later, that could be a blessing for the Vikings in their pursuit of NFC North titles.

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