Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst provided a new and significantly different timeline of events that led up to Aaron Rodgers requesting a trade to the New York Jets.
To hear Rodgers tell the story, the Packers kept the door open for Rodgers in terms of returning to Green Bay for 2023 during initial exit conversations, but “something changed” during his darkness retreat and the team was all of sudden ready to move on from the future Hall of Famer, prompting the trade request.
Gutekunst described a much different timeline at the NFL Owners Meetings in Phoenix on Monday, via Matt Schneidman of The Athletic.
According to the Packers general manager, the team had conversations with Rodgers at the end of the 2022 regular season but then never heard from the quarterback again despite numerous attempts at initiating follow-up conversations about the future. At a certain point, Gutekunst had to “do my job” and start making decisions, including at quarterback. When Rodgers wasn’t available, the Packers had to reach out to his representation to inform him of the team’s plans to move on, and at that point, the trade request from Rodgers finally arrived.
Almost two weeks ago, Rodgers went on “The Pat McAfee Show” and informed the world of his intention to play for the Jets. He also said he would have hoped for more direct conversations with the Packers about the team’s intentions.
It sounds like, according to Gutekusnt, that the Packers were willing to have those conversations, but calls went unanswered. It’s unclear if the two sides having the conversations would have changed the outcome.
Gutekunst’s availability Monday provided the first official comments from the team on Rodgers’ situation.
Will Rodgers have some kind of rebuttal? While it appeared amicable at first, this divorce could still get messy in Green Bay.
