Rodgers Is In the Dark-So Are the Packers

With the Green Bay Packers offseason in full swing, there are still many questions that remain to be answered, with the largest being the question of Aaron Rodgers. This past week on the Pat McAfee Show, Rodgers stated that he still doesn’t know whether or not he will return to play football or if he’ll “ride off into the sunset,” so to speak. Rodgers continued to say that he will be participating in a “darkness retreat” to help determine his future. Rodgers is in the dark-so are the Packers-on what will happen with the quarterback’s future. That isn’t a bad thing.

The Packers don’t need to be in that big of a hurry. I know Green Bay Packers President Mark Murphy said this past week, “the sooner the decision is made, the better” but this is restating the hope that Aaron Rodgers will make his decision by the start of free agency in March. Rodgers has already indicated publicly that that is his own deadline anyway. He made it clear that he “doesn’t want hold the team hostage.” So why are the Packers cool to wait this long?

The Packers 2022-23 season ended over a month ago on January 8th and now it’s Super Bowl Sunday, February 12th. It has already been a month and by all indications, the Packers want a decision before the start of the league year on March 15th. The reason the Packers are being so patient is honestly for the public relations side of things. Mark Murphy took over as President of the Green Bay Packers in 2007 and in the following offseason had to deal with the whole Brett Favre fiasco! I believe Mark learned from that experience and is looking to preserve fan relations with the team this go-around.

If the Packers can wait for Aaron Rodgers to make the decision, then that saves them from having to look like the “bad guys” in the event they think it best to trade Aaron Rodgers. If Rodgers retires, then he retires a Packer and it’s all good. If he wants to play but wants to play elsewhere, then that’s great too. The Packers would only look like the “bad guys” if Rodgers only wants to play for the Packers and they don’t want him. It’s the Law of Probability. It’s more advantageous for the Packers to wait because in 2/3 of the scenarios, they are the “good guys.”

So right now, the ball is in Rodgers’ court and that’s okay. If the Packers were to be jerks and force Rodgers to make a quicker decision, then that would also make them look like the “bad guys.” Honestly, from the PR perspective, it’s the best play for Green Bay.

Right now is the time that the Packers can get all of the different scenarios organized, rehearsed, and ready to implement at a moment’s notice. They can have the conversations that need to be had. They can figure out possible trade compensation if things were to go that route. They can even work out other player contract situations that are not affected by the Aaron Rodgers’ decision (these are items that the Packers will do with or without Rodgers) such as a Rashan Gary extension.

I believe the Packers know what they want for the football team but they are still in the dark about what Rodgers is gonna do. And that’s okay. There is no need to rush things right now. Be patient. Be ready. That’s the Packers motto right now, I can almost guarantee it. Therefore, it should be the fans’ motto too. Because, like Punxsutawney Phil, Rodgers will emerge from his dark room and deliver a decision. Will there be one more season of Rodgers, or will it be the season of Love?

Damon is a diehard, fully-immersed cheesehead who currently lives in southern Missouri. He teaches at a local high school and has a family YouTube channel about all things Packers. You can follow him on twitter at @packersfamily and on YouTube at The Packers Family.

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