A consensus seems to be forming that Aaron Rodgers will indeed return to the Green Bay Packers for (at least) one more season. Conventional wisdom would seem to dictate that Davante Adams would follow suit, signing up to continue playing with his MVP quarterback. If Rodgers leaves through trade or retirement, Adams is likely done in Green Bay too. Either way, it’s a lose-lose situation for Jordan Love.
Rodgers has maintained that he will decide on his future “sooner rather than later.” He is the biggest domino to fall. If he decides to hang it up or ask for a trade, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst would be wise to find as big a haul as possible for Adams as well. It doesn’t completely fix Green Bay’s salary cap situation. Still, it certainly goes a long way in alleviating the current headache that director of football operations Russ Ball has right now. Hopefully, moving on entirely from the Rodgers-Adams era doesn’t cause the Packers to bottom out. There’s still a great deal of talent on the roster and, hypothetically, a significant haul coming back for Adams (and potentially Rodgers).
If both Rodgers and Adams decided to run it back in 2022 (and beyond?), Gutekunst and Ball would have to gut other parts of the roster, push more money down the line, and do whatever it takes to get under the salary cap.
So why are both situations bad for Love? Let’s first look at the scenario in which Rodgers and Adams return to 1265 Lombardi Ave this fall. That means another year of little to no playing time for Love, who will be in his third season after being selected in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Green Bay still has Love under control on that rookie contract for both the 2022 and 2023 seasons, with the fifth-year option remaining out there if the Packers wanted to pick it up. So basically, the Packers still have three more seasons to decide what they want to do with Love.
After zero playing time in his rookie season, Love threw 62 passes in his sophomore campaign, with more than half coming in his Week 9 start against Kansas City, in which Rodgers was on the immunized COVID list. He would not have a real opportunity to showcase his level of play, wherever that may be, while the two-time reigning MVP is on the roster. That means his stock more than likely continues to fall, not only in Green Bay but around the league. His name hasn’t been in high demand, and the apparent trade haul for him wouldn’t be worth it for the Packers.
As bad as Rodgers and Adams returning would be for Love, the two of them leaving might be worse. The pair — especially Rodgers — being gone immediately takes Green Bay out of the tier of Super Bowl contenders and into the murky maybe if things go amazing, we could sneak into the wild-card game level. For starters, the Packers lose arguably the best receiver in the game. Perhaps they can get a Jerry Jeudy-type in a trade package, but 99% of receivers will be a downgrade from Adams.
Green Bay would have to win games with running and defense, which seems conceivable with stars like Aaron Jones, A.J. Dillon, and an above-average offensive line. Plus, they’d have Rashan Gary, Jaire Alexander, and more on an improving unit on the other side of the ball. LaFleur would likely build Love’s role into a game-manager type, which doesn’t necessarily allow Love to showcase his potential if it’s really there.
One possibility that could happen if Rodgers leaves? Gutekunst signs a veteran quarterback to back up Love, at least to start. Green Bay finds some early success by running the ball and getting stops on defense, and the team picks up some wins despite Love rather than because of him. If that veteran quarterback has some good experience (Ryan Fitzpatrick hasn’t been a Packer yet), would LaFleur turn to the backup if there’s a chance to put a playoff run together?
Aaron Rodgers could be gone. Jordan Love could be good. The prevailing sentiment at the moment is that both statements might be false, with Love’s career failing to get off the ground in Green Bay becoming an all-too-real possibility.
