INDIANAPOLIS — There was little or no dialog between the Inexperienced Bay Packers and Aaron Rodgers since their end-of-season conferences greater than a month in the past, and till they reconvene, normal supervisor Brian Gutekunst can be publicly noncommittal about who his quarterback can be this coming season.
Whereas it didn’t essentially characterize a serious shift within the group’s considering, Gutekunst wouldn’t go as far he did in earlier periods with reporters when requested Tuesday on the NFL scouting mix whether or not he wished Rodgers again for the 2023 season.
“He is a fantastic participant, however till we have now these conversations, I believe all choices are on the desk proper now,” Gutekunst mentioned throughout a 35-minute sit-down with reporters who cowl the Packers. “However we actually must have these conversations. We wish what’s greatest for the Inexperienced Bay Packers, what’s greatest for Aaron. So, we’ll get to that after these conversations occur.”
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Later, when addressing the nationwide media, Gutekunst mentioned that aside from a couple of textual content exchanges with Rodgers, “we’ve not had the possibility to talk but.”
His stance Tuesday was barely totally different from that on Dec. 6, when in the course of the Packers’ bye week, he mentioned he wished Rodgers again for subsequent season. Then, on Jan. 13, when discussing Rodgers’ state of affairs after the season, Gutekunst implied that he nonetheless believed Rodgers gave the Packers a greater probability to win than if Jordan Love have been to take over.
If nothing else, Gutekunst has left himself with an out if the 2 sides resolve to half methods. Rodgers is owed practically $60 million in assured cash if he performs in 2023 as a part of the $150 million contract extension he signed final March.
“I do not know if issues shifted,” Gutekunst mentioned. “I believe with a participant who’s performed so long as Aaron has, and as we have gone the previous few years, we realized for him it has been a year-to-year kind of proposition. I believe we have sort of recognized that shifting ahead, that final yr after we did the contract it was going to be yr to yr. That is sort of the place we’re at. I do not assume it actually adjusted or modified an excessive amount of.
“I believe we have all the time sort of recognized it was going to be yr to yr with him. I’ll say our season final yr actually adjusted some issues and our considering a bit of bit. Clearly, it was a disappointing season. Not the place we wished to be. At any time when that occurs, you are going to have a look at plenty of issues that you will change.”
There stays a delicate deadline of March 15, when free company begins, for Rodgers to decide, however the workforce has not pressed him on whether or not he plans to play in 2023 — and in that case, whether or not he needs to return to Inexperienced Bay or be traded — or retire.
“Definitely, earlier than free company, I believe that will be good,” Gutekunst mentioned. “I do not know if there’s something agency, however I believe that will be useful for our soccer workforce.
Whereas not less than one workforce, the New York Jets, has inquired about buying and selling for Rodgers, in keeping with an ESPN report from earlier within the offseason, Gutekunst mentioned there has not been any particular commerce talks concerning Rodgers.
“I’ve conversations with groups on a regular basis,” he mentioned. “I am not moving into specifics or particular groups. This time of yr, that occurs quite a bit fairly frankly. So, I’ve talked to quite a lot of totally different groups about quite a lot of various things, however truly speaking about trades, not but. Definitely, individuals could be eager about Aaron Rodgers, proper? In the event that they thought he was accessible.”
In the meantime, Gutekunst mentioned that Love is “completely” able to be a beginning quarterback within the NFL. Gutekunst mentioned he has been in common communication with Love and his brokers because the offseason as progressed.
“He undoubtedly must play,” Gutekunst mentioned. “I believe that is the subsequent step in his development. I believe he is prepared for that. Not each quarterback comes into this league able to go on the market and play. I believe he wanted a bit of time, however over the past yr and a half or so, we have seen that is the subsequent step in his development. He must exit and play.”