Has a distinct ChatGPT flavor to it, susieq. Please say you'll never leave us blue.

The Incompetent, pompous, arrogant, insensitive, insecure, maverick “Gute the great”, the great alienator of veteran player and fan alike:

November 2023 after the Rasui Trade:
Green Bay Packers G.M. Brian Gutekunst Delivers State Of the Team Address
Rob Reischel
Gutekunst was asked what message he would like to convey to the paying customers?
“Not big on messaging to the fans,” Gutekunst said.

owes not only his General Manager job but his survival in Green Bay’s offices to Aaron Rodgers.

Long before Rodgers put Gute on his back Rodgers carried Ted Thompson and McCarthy to the Super Bowl win in 2010-11, NFC Championship games in 2014-15 and 2016-17, 8 consecutive playoff appearances - at a time when just 6 teams qualified – a streak that ended only because Rodgers broke his collarbone.

Then Gutekunst in his inimitable and insensitive and disrespectful way immediately cuts Jordy Nelson- as Rodgers is just recovering from the collar bone break , disrupting the chemistry and trust in the Receiver/QB room. Here is an excerpt from an article that lays it out quite well, I am sure you can find the full article – I don’t know how to post links to this blog – I continue after the excerpt:

What If Jordy Nelson Had Finished Out His Career in Green Bay?
Photo Credit: Bob Donnan (USA TODAY Sports)
By Troy Asseln - June 3, 2021

However, not long after those guys, I think of Jordy Nelson. I think about the end of his career in Green Bay that never was.

His departure from the franchise was unceremonious, to put it lightly. After a forgettable 2017 season that saw an injured Rodgers and the ghost of Brett Hundley throw wounded ducks to Nelson all year, newly-appointed general manager Brian Gutekunst let Nelson walk for free. Nelson had come off his lowest receiving yardage total since the 2010 season, though his status as a franchise pillar was no match for the shrewd transactionary guillotine of Gutekunst.

It is well-documented that this move, along with a slew of other releases, have played a large role in Rodgers’ current dissatisfaction with Green Bay. His idea of the direction the franchise is going and how the front office treats the “people” within the organization was likely kicked off by the release of his trustworthy teammate in Nelson. As the Packers scramble to find ways to make moves that will make Rodgers happy, I can’t help but ask one simple question:

What if Jordy Nelson stayed?

Would the answer to all of the current problems with the Packers really be that simple? It’s not necessarily unrealistic to think that re-signing Jordy would have provided a band-aid for the wide receiver position for a few years. If he had remained on the team, it would also have delayed the severing of ties between Rodgers and Gutekunst.

Let’s take a look at the impact that Nelson would have had on Green Bay had he not ventured off to Oakland for the 2018 season.

Performance

Nelson’s last season in Lambeau was not great. He only totaled 482 receiving yards in a year that saw the Packers go 7-9 and miss the playoffs. Nelson also turned 32 that year. From an outside perspective, it would make sense to let an aging skill position player leave in the interest of bringing in younger, more effective talent.

Nelson moved on from Green Bay to play one season with the Oakland Raiders in 2018. He put up fair numbers as Oakland’s leading wide receiver that year: 63 receptions for 739 yards and 3 touchdowns. Jared Cook led that team in receiving yardage as a tight end. As the Raiders eventually moved on from talented wide receiver Amari Cooper that year, Nelson provided stability for quarterback Derek Carr in what would be his first season throwing for over 4000 yards.

Rodgers threw for almost 4500 yards, 25 TDs, and only two picks in 2018, and the Packers went 6-9-1. Davante Adams had a breakout year with 1386 receiving yards, but outside of Adams there were little to no receiving threats. The highest yardage total behind Adams was the lumbering cadaver of Jimmy Graham who inexplicably totaled 636 yards and a whopping two TDs on the season.

Fans who remember watching that season know that receivers had a problem getting separation all year. Cobb was a shell of his former self as he battled through injury and age, and the young crop of receivers in Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Equanimeous St. Brown and Geronimo Allison had not yet reached a point of reliable production for the veteran quarterback. For all intents and purposes, this season was a mess.

If Nelson were to have stuck around, he would have provided a reliable No. 2 option behind Adams. Even in his age-33 season, it is reasonable to believe he could have repeated or exceeded his Oakland receiving totals had he stayed in Green Bay.

Rodgers threw for approximately 9.7% more yards than Carr during the 2018 season. He also accounted for 31% more touchdowns. If we apply that mark-up in quarterback play to Nelson’s 2018 totals with Oakland, his 2018 season in Green Bay would have looked like this: 810 receiving yards and four touchdowns.

These are not necessarily eye-popping numbers, but they would have far and away exceeded any other WR production for Green Bay in 2018. Nelson’s return to the team would have had a massive impact on both team performance and position group morale. It would be too slipshod to predict that Nelson’s return would have saved the Packers from a losing record and missing the playoffs for the second straight year, but in a year that was marred by injuries and inconsistent play from the wide receiver position, Gutekunst would have been wise to roll the dice on a beloved franchise player.

Emotional Impact

If Nelson’s departure from the team was truly the first straw in Rodgers’ burgeoning distrust of Gutekunst, this would have been an easily avoidable mistake by just letting Nelson play and retire a Packer like he wanted to.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Rodgers then carries Gutekunst as well, despite Rodgers not having received any significant offensive player assets in years – offensive assets like those that have been readily handed now to Jordan:

Watson (34th pick, first receiver picked that high since Javon Walker at 20th in 2002) and Reed (50th pick, first receiver picked that high since Jordy at 36th pick in 2008).

Musgrave (42nd pick) first tight end selected that high since Bubba Franks at 14ht in 2000.

Morgan (25th pick) first offensive lineman picked that high since Brian Bulaga at 23 in 2010.

The simple minded, small minded little man Gute – little both physically and in terms of personal character and integrity – after failing on the football field in less than a year in a tiny tiny college football program was fortunate to have a father in senior positions in the Football world that opened closed doors for him, doors that would be closed for the ordinary person.

I agree that Lafleur is a great coach and a person of high character – especially in hiring Saleh after the Arabic speaking 1st Muslim head coach in the history of the NFL was fired UK Ambassador Woodie Johnson immediately after Saleh wore the Lebanese flag on his left arm through the Viking game in London and in the post game press conferences during Israel’s relentless bombing of Lebanon - but that choice was made by Mark Murphy.

As for Malik Willis, after Gutekunst failed with his wasted 5th round draft pick of Sean Clifford and 6th round draft pick of Michael Pratt he came to the realization that Jordan is just what everyone who had watched Jordan in college knew he was:

a loose cannon, situationally unaware

lacking arm strength for distance and velocity when needed;

lacking a visual sense time and space and distance in throwing the ball;

lacking touch,

and as a consequence the quarterback that led all of college football in interceptions and
was far below the leading college QBs in accuracy as well.

So “Gutey” had to do something to cover for Gutey’s poor assessment of QB talent now in 2023 and 2024 and earlier with lost Super Bowls he created by “Gute’s” cutting of Jordy, not resigning Cobb, and his terrible 1st round draft picks, especially Jordan, with this selection made at the worst possible time when a wide receiver to pare with Davante was critical.
If the Packers make the playoffs it will be in good part because Malik covered up the mess that Jordan made, which cuts right back to the “Great Gute”.

Packers need another former player like Thompson – who understands the importance of veteran players and an accurate QB that thinks on his feet and does not throw interceptions – as GM.

By the way, as for the record you mentioned, Gute’s 13-13 thus far with his Jordan Love, Gute’s “franchise QB” – I credit the win in Jacksonville to Malik as Packers were trailing after Jordan’s “strain” when he left in the 3rd quarter. How quickly a 13-3, 13-3, 13-4 and 3-1 until MVP QB breaks his thumb, when that MVP QB is gone and replaced with an incompetent General Manager’s choice of the QB that led all of college football in interceptions.

My love and support and loyalty and cheers are always with poor Jordan – in way above his head, but at least he was smart enough to hold out and put one over on “the Great Gute” - and all the Packers players and Matt Lafleur and all the Packer legends that have passed through Lambeau and been screwed by Gutey.

My disdain is for Gutekunst whose idiotic self serving self glorifying moves stopped another Super Bowl run in its tracks and has set the team back years. “Gutey” will not last long – mark my words. I have seen hubris before and it always ends ugly.