It was crushing when the Green Bay Packers lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Championship last year. But it was not all that surprising given the Bucs’ roster and Tom Brady‘s history in big games. On the other hand, this year’s loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round was a surprise. Maybe it is the signal that now is the time for Aaron Rodgers and the Packers to go their separate ways.
Entering this postseason, the biggest question about this Packers squad was, If not now, when? Everything was lining up in their favor. They finished the regular season with great momentum, got healthy entering the playoffs, and clinched the only bye in the NFC for a second consecutive season. The front office had gone all-in, restructuring numerous contracts in the offseason to bet everything on this year. Everything was falling into place — until a swift exit from the playoffs left an empty feeling in the pit of everyone’s stomachs. Now, there’s an offseason filled with uncertainty, salary-cap hurdles, and a sense of diminishing possibilities.
Try as they might, it will be impossible for Green Bay to bring back all the core pieces from this team. Davante Adams is a free agent, as is Marquez Valdes-Scantling, De’Vondre Campbell, Rasul Douglas, Lucas Patrick, Robert Tonyan, and more. Others like Za’Darius Smith, Preston Smith, and Randall Cobb come with massive cap hits that Brian Gutekunst could solve with one snip of the scissors, but Green Bay would be losing those critical assets. Gutekunst, Russ Ball, and Mark Murphy will have a stockpile of difficult decisions to make, but it all starts with Rodgers.
Everyone is waiting for Rodgers to make his decision. But is it possible that Green Bay would want to move on even if he wants to come back? The NFC North is still very winnable, but the Packers haven’t gotten over the hump in the last three years. Why should they believe it will be different next year with a similar roster minus some talent?
Listen, Green Bay’s best chance is with Rodgers under center. But if the best opportunity is just getting to the playoffs only to set up another disappointing exit, why live in that purgatory for two or three more years?
It sounds foolish, almost spoiled, to bring up the idea of Green Bay moving on from Rodgers. But this team hasn’t shown the ability to get through the NFC in over a decade. They’ve had numerous opportunities and, in a few cases, they were the most talented team of anyone in the dance.
Rodgers still has plenty of gas left in the tank. But for a place known as “Titletown,” there hasn’t been a sniff of a title despite Green Bay dominating the regular season under Matt LaFleur. Why roll with Rodgers if the premise is that it will be good enough to win the NFC North but not good enough to win the Super Bowl? Losing Rodgers means the Packers initially get worse, but it also resets the clock quicker. It’s something that will have to be weighed in the offseason, even though Green Bay will probably end up catering to Rodgers’ demands.
The optics would not be great for Green Bay if No. 12 wants to return, but they choose to part ways. The backlash would come from all angles. But in the long term, getting a boatload of picks back for a 38-year-old quarterback might be the smart move.
Breakups are never easy, and they often divide everyone into sides. That’s exactly what would happen if Aaron Rodgers and the Packers part ways. One indisputable thing, though, is the Packers’ ability to continue to stumble over themselves in the postseason, even with one of the best quarterbacks of all time. Moving on from Rodgers would set the Packers back initially, but it would get the restart going immediately instead of teasing everyone for another two or three years.
