Tiki & Tierney weigh in on confusing Rodgers-Packers relationship
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Aaron Rodgers wants to start at quarterback for the Green Bay Packers in 2021 and beyond. But is the organization willing to grant their three-time MVP that wish?
Well, isn’t that a good question. The safe answer right now is, who knows. Rodgers’ future in Green Bay remains unclear, and somewhat confusing.
In a recent report from ESPN’s Rob Demovsky that cites multiple sources, Rodgers wants “assurances” that he won’t be a lame-duck quarterback in the coming years. Demovsky also notes that the Packers paid Rodgers his $6.8 million roster bonus last week, which eliminated the chance of that money being converted into a signing bonus in an effort to free up cap space this season.
Could this financial decision be an indication of how long Green Bay plans to keep Rodgers around? Not necessarily, since the Packers haven’t ruled out the possibility of restructuring or extending Rodgers’ contract, according to Demovsky.
Overall, the Rodgers-Packers situation is puzzling. But Tiki and Tierney tried to make some sense of it all during Wednesday’s show.
Video: What does future hold for Rodgers in Green Bay? (NBC Sports)
“I think that the Green Bay Packers are dangling Aaron Rodgers unfairly, in a sense,” Tiki said. “Because right now, the way that his contract is constructed, it’s basically a year-to-year deal. And so they can make a determination in any single year whether or not he’s part of their immediate future plans. And they have the luxury to do that because they already have his replacement on their roster with [2020 first round pick] Jordan Love…
“It doesn’t feel like they’re committed to [Rodgers] in the long-term, which is surprising to me, BT… Aaron Rodgers is going to be healthy and viable, I think, for at least another four years. So the fact that they’re taking this year by year I know has to be frustrating for him. But the Packers can afford to do it, because they have cap space and they have a replacement, should Aaron Rodgers’ situation not fit their needs.”
Rodgers certainly used the team’s baffling first round selection of Love as fuel in 2020. In his 13th season as the Packers’ starter, he threw for 4,299 passing yards and 48 touchdowns with just five interceptions. His stellar performances led Green Bay to an NFC-best 13-3 record, and two weeks after the Packers’ NFC title game loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Rodgers was named the league’s MVP.
Although cap space plays a considerable factor into Tierney’s thoughts on the Packers, he’s frustrated that the organization didn’t come to terms with one of the top free agent receivers, such as Kenny Golladay, Corey Davis, or Curtis Samuel.
“How in the world are the Packers not getting one of those players for Aaron Rodgers?” Tierney said. “The Packers are such an overrated organization. Quite frankly, if Aaron Rodgers wasn’t as great, as sublime as he is, we’d be laughing at the Packers. What do they do that’s so smart?…
“The way you win big is by playing big, and the Packers don’t play big enough for my taste. That’s the problem. The Packers are too entrenched in the mindset of sitting there and going, ‘a dollar a hand, a dollar a hand, a dollar a hand.’ And there’s nothing wrong with that, unless you’re trying to win the Lombardi trophy. Then there’s something wrong with that. It’s disgraceful that they haven’t brought in another player for this guy…”
The entire conversation between Tiki & Tierney can be accessed in the video and audio players above.
You can follow the Tiki and Tierney Show on Twitter @TikiAndTierney and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.