While discussing his football future on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Tuesday, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers indicated the return of several of his favorite veteran teammates would play an important part in whether or not he returns to play the 2023 season with the Packers.
Rodgers said he doesn’t want to be part of a rebuild and would be open to playing elsewhere if the Packers want to go younger next season.
The four-time MVP specifically mentioned five teammates with uncertain futures in Green Bay.
“This game is about relationships,” Rodgers said. “It’s about the guys you rely on, even if they don’t show up huge in the stat book. A guy like Marcedes Lewis, he’s an important cog in the wheel of the locker room and the momentum of the team. That’s a guy I want to finish my career with, you know? If I’m playing, I want that guy next to me. I want the Randall Cobbs of the world, if he wants to keep playing, in my locker room. Guys you can win with. Allen Lazard, Bobby Tonyan, Dave Bakhtiari. There’s a lot of interesting names that we’ll see their desire to re-sign these certain guys who are glue guys in the locker room that will be interesting conversations to be had.”
Lewis, Cobb, Lazard and Tonyan are all scheduled to be unrestricted free agents. Bakhtiari is under contract but has a cap hit that balloons to almost $30 million in 2023.
Other free agents in Green Bay include kicker Mason Crosby, defensive lineman Dean Lowry and safety Adrian Amos.
Lewis remained solid as a run blocker but turns 39 in May.
Cobb caught 34 passes as a slot receiver but turns 33 in August.
Lazard set career-highs in catches and yards but could be a prized free-agent on the open market.
Tonyan caught 53 passes but averaged just 8.9 yards per catch in his first year back from a significant knee injury.
Bakhtiari played in 11 games in his first year back following three surgeries on his knee. The Packers indicated they want him back in 2023 despite a cap hit of over $29 million.
General manager Brian Gutekunst has big decisions to make on the short and long term future of his roster. Does he want to bring back all the veterans and give Rodgers one more shot at chasing a Super Bowl with this cast? Or is he ready to turn the page on a previous era and begin the transition with a younger roster and Jordan Love under center? How he approaches the status of the five veterans mentioned by Rodgers above will likely provide the answer.
