The Lass Word: Gutey Says Team Will Stay Intact
But can he and Russ Ball pull it off?
By KenLass
An early exit from the playoffs is always a disappointment, but this year’s loss to the 49ers seemed especially crushing. Probably because everything was supposed to be set up to work in the Packers’ favor. Home field, cold weather, bye week, injured players coming back, et al.
For me the loss was most devastating because of my perception that this was the last shot before the team is forced to break up the band. Even after redoing the contracts of Kenny Clark and Aaron Jones, Green Bay is still around $39 million over the 2022 cap limit, and that doesn’t even include money for free agents, draft picks and practice squad. Regardless of whether Aaron Rodgers returns, the Packers appear destined to lose a list of important contributors this off season. And that is depressing to me.
But wait. Along comes General Manager Brian Gutekunst in his pre-combine news conference Wednesday, to tell us it ain’t so. “I don’t see us having to get rid of a bunch of players” he told the beat writers. “I think we have a lot of different options, depending on which way we head, but this isn’t going to be like a fire sale where we’re cutting a bunch of guys.... There’s going to be dominos that fall that affect each and every player that we want to bring back or touch their contract or things like that, but there’s ways.”
Ways? They must be magic ways, because it doesn’t seem possible. By now, you’re familiar with the litany of good players who either have to be re-signed or renegotiated to keep the nucleus of the team intact. To name just some of them, Davante Adams, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Allen Lazard, Billy Turner, Elgton Jenkins, David Bakhtiari, Marcedes Lewis, Robert Tonyan, De’Vondre Campbell, Za’darius Smith, Rasul Douglas, Jaire Alexander, Preston Smith, Dean Lowry and Mason Crosby. And there are several more. Oh, and then there’s that Rodgers guy, with his $46 million cap hit.
Yet Gutekunst seems certain he can retain Rodgers and Adams, and still keep enough of the team together to be a legitimate Super Bowl contender this year. “We will have a competitive team regardless” he confidently stated. “We’re the Green Bay Packers, and I think we have a very good football team in front of us. Those are elite players, and whenever you have elite players, we feel good about that. We may have to do some things in different ways if those hypotheticals come into play, we’ll see where it goes, but I like the nucleus and the foundation of our football team.”
One thing is clear. Nothing will catch the front office off guard. Gutekunst has a plan laid out for every possibility. He thinks the fan concern over a massive exodus of talent is a false narrative. He wants us to understand that he knows things that we don’t know. “We’ve been working on it for so long, I think the paths of where we need to get have been so much clearer to us than maybe what’s out there, but, we have a really good football team and I think we have a lot of opportunities to bring guys back that will make us (contenders) again next year”.
I suppose you can just keep pushing money into the future. In the case of running back Aaron Jones, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports the team pushed his cap hit into future years to create three million dollars in cap space this year. But sooner or later, that bomb has to go off. Case in point, Jones 2023 cap number has now ballooned to $20 million. Perhaps the Packers feel they can get away without the full bill being due until they can no longer ride their future Hall of Fame quarterback to the playoffs each year. Or maybe they believe the future cap will expand enough to bail them out of massive debt. It’s a gamble to be sure, but one they seem all in to take.
So maybe this team won’t look as different as we thought next fall. Maybe it wasn’t the last dance after all. Maybe there’s an encore performance waiting in the tomes of Russ Ball’s ledger book.
The front office certainly wants us to think so.
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Ken Lass is a former Green Bay television sports anchor and 43 year media veteran, a lifelong Packers fan, and a shareholder.
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Comments (157)
KeithJWard
February 25, 2022 at 06:22 am
>Yet Gutekunst seems certain he can retain Rodgers and Adams, and still keep enough of the team together to be a legitimate Super Bowl contender this year. "We will have a competitive team regardless" he confidently stated. "We're the Green Bay Packers, and I think we have a very good football team in front of us. Those are elite players, and whenever you have elite players, we feel good about that. We may have to do some things in different ways if those hypotheticals come into play, we'll see where it goes, but I like the nucleus and the foundation of our football team."
That's heartwarming to read.
KnockTheSnotOutOfYou
February 25, 2022 at 07:03 am
Yes, the key word in your comments Keith is 'this year'.
With a weaker team on the field in 2022 there is no doubt there will be a less likelihood the Packers get to the SB. Resigning these players and restructuring contracts by pushing the can down the road will put the team in cap purgatory for a number of years. Without question this will severely affect the team's ability to field a competitive team and in my mind it is not worth it.
I'd like to see the team put all their resources to rebuilding because if they do it correctly I see them being competitive in the North Division even in 2022. In 2023, I see the Packers being very competitive in the playoffs once again as the young players gain experience such as Jordan Love along with all their resources from the Aaron Rodgers and Adam's trades.
Coldworld
February 25, 2022 at 07:20 am
He can keep the band together … sort of …
This really is what I’ve been afraid of. Placing the team in cap hock for years for maybe a season, maybe two with a sort of retained roster and a QB a year or two older and no clear path to address the reasons for the failures.
It’s not just Rodgers that undermined us, it wasn’t just STs (though that should have been avoided) it’s LaFleur too. Next year more of the same with less. Millions of dollars in cap being piled forward (more than any projected cap rise) and dead years where we will be paying for departed players for a 2021 lite?
It’s time to move on and I don’t just mean from Rodgers. This regime is bankrupt. This kind of PR is unnecessary. Take the offers and let your HC show he is one.
jurp
February 25, 2022 at 07:50 am
We "keep the band together" - why? To keep Gutekunst, Ball and LaFleur employed? They have to realize that this short-term strategy WILL backfire on them quite soon - so why do it? Why make a conscious decision to return to mediocrity after 22 or 23? You're right, Coldworld, they ALL have to go.
I've decided that if they extend Rodgers I cannot, for the first time in my 62 years, follow this team on a daily and weekly basis. I'll become a passive fan only. It's not worth the emotional roller coaster ride anymore. I hated the 70s and 80s, but I stuck with MY team. I'm older and wiser now and will not actively support a team run with stupidity and self-interestedness only.
The Bears still suck, of course, and the Vikings are whiners, as always.
croatpackfan
February 25, 2022 at 09:33 am
It is a stupid, illogical and irresponsible decision due to the belief that the Salary Cap will grow sharply in 2023. And now, I ask you, if Putin gets at least half of what he wants, do you really think China will not invade Taiwan to take it over? What will your government do then? Because they have already promised that they will not allow it. And if it happens (which isn’t impossible) what do you think the Salary Cap will be?
If China does not embark on this adventure, do you really think that all these sanctions imposed on Russia will not affect the US and your European allies (including my country)?
What if the Salary Cap shrinks again? The Packers could be in a situation where they can't draft, because they won't have space inside the Salary Cap to sign contracts with the draft class ...
A very frivolous and, in fact, very dangerous decision to push so much dead money into the future!
Tundraboy
February 25, 2022 at 02:30 pm
I agree, particularly the rollercoaster ride we have been on. Perhaps its because of our age the various periods we have been through as fans.
In the end I think its just too great an opportunity to obtain more from trades and compensation for Rodgers and Adams to pass up. In the past we dreamed of a high pick to jumpstart us or bemoaned the lack of star players through thorough the seemingly endless rough times, but its about adding more talent. And this is a great opportunity to add a lot of talent at once and build on the defense and offense we still have.
I am far more excited about that prospect than waiting for the inevitable fail in the playoffs because the egos have become so grossly oversized. Opportunity knocks and giving the keys to Rodgers and Adams will not end well
egbertsouse
February 25, 2022 at 06:36 am
So Jake and Elwood are putting the band back together. Big surprise. It’s the only song they know. The name of the tune is, “Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”
KnockTheSnotOutOfYou
February 25, 2022 at 07:07 am
eber,
It is my sincere hope Gutey is saying all this to simply mislead the NFL as they secretly negotiate amongst many teams in an attempt to further leverage those efforts.
Coldworld
February 25, 2022 at 07:21 am
I’d like to think so, but it sounds more like institutional delusion to me.
jurp
February 25, 2022 at 07:52 am
I don't think so, although Gutekunst didn't really mention Rodgers by name, did he? He said that dominoes have to fall, and AR being traded could be one of those dominoes. The only way they can keep the team competitive according to any analysis I've seen is by trading Rodgers, which may be what he's hinting about.
OTOH, maybe Gutekunst, Ball, and Murphy are just delusional.
Coldworld
February 25, 2022 at 08:11 am
I sometimes get the impression that Gute is towing the Murphy/LaFleur line. Maybe he is less willing, but at some point, he needs to back his own convictions or be tarred with the same brush.
croatpackfan
February 25, 2022 at 09:41 am
I agree Coldworld. If you have your attitude, you should fight for it. But we do not know if Brian Gutekunst really believe in another "last dance" (how much more of this lasts?) or have to do what is the "company policy" for the public. If he would stands alone with his opposite attitude, he may very likely close the doors of other teams after he will be fired from Packers Personnel Department (no owner like dissonant tones from the employees), same as he is truly believer in "jubilee" lasts dances. But in the case that things will not pan out good, he can always say that he was singing with the choir under the company policy. That would make possible new employer satisfied.
jannesbjornson
February 25, 2022 at 01:21 pm
If he believes in His guy, Love, Rodgers will be traded.
dobber
February 25, 2022 at 01:52 pm
Again...this has little to do with Love.
dobber
February 25, 2022 at 09:52 am
Gute is still an employee. He makes the roster moves, but he does so with at least some organizational direction. I'd like to think he's making his mind known. Incompetence is tolerated in the league (look at Ryan Pace: he's already found a role in Atlanta). But in the end, the faster route to the unemployment line and potentially ending his career is being insubordinate.
Coldworld
February 25, 2022 at 09:54 am
It could make his career if he stood up against something shown to have undermined the franchise.
dobber
February 25, 2022 at 10:45 am
Is that how owners operate? His career would be as a talking head on backwater blogs.
Coldworld
February 25, 2022 at 12:20 pm
Careers are made by saying yes when it matters. Real success more often comes from being right when it matters.
dobber
February 25, 2022 at 06:06 pm
If I'm an owner running a billion-dollar franchise, I'm not hiring someone to do personnel who has a track record of ignoring his directives.
Coldworld
February 25, 2022 at 11:11 pm
Depends if you want to win and have faith in delegating. I agree some might struggle with that, but not the good ones.
jannesbjornson
February 25, 2022 at 01:22 pm
Especially to the Stockholders.
dobber
February 25, 2022 at 09:38 am
I come back to the fact that this is really the ONLY card the organization has to play, at least to the public. It keeps all avenues open to the team.
If ARod is as serious about coming back (as he must be based on the fact that he's reportedly in regular contact with the team) AND playing in GB, this would be figured out by now. IF it's what both parties really want, it's a no-lose situation for the parties involved. Instead, we're trapped in some weird "circa 2005, Favrian dance".
The restructures (Clark and Jones) were going to happen. They don't signal anything either way...but I continue to be confused by the void contract hits the Packers took last week that added a few million onto the cap. For a team that needs to scrape every available penny to run it back in 2022 and 2023, they very cavalierly let those dollars go. Yes, TGR, it might've involved some down-the-road hits, but the Packers don't seem to be afraid of that and--except for Campbell--there seems to have been no communication with Tonyan, King, Sullivan to do something to add depth pieces and mitigate the cap hits (King, in particular).
I have no idea what's going to happen, but with reports that there are suitors already feeling up the Packers on trade offers, this isn't done...it remains a beautiful mystery.
Coldworld
February 25, 2022 at 09:52 am
“With true beauty, there is no illusion.” James Phillip Head
An obvious corollary is surely that the illusory can not be truly beautiful?
CheesyTex
February 25, 2022 at 04:09 pm
"If ARod is serious about coming back (as he must be..."
I've often wondered whether or not part of the negotiated agreement last year was that, in the event of a trade, both sides agreed to evaluate proposals together to see whether or not one was mutually acceptable.
Do not know enough about NFL rules to know whether or not such an agreement is possible, but if so -- there's hope for Packers fans.
The stands were full and the season ticket waiting list was full throughout the twenty-odd year drought before Favre, and they will be again whomever succeeds #12.
Amazing how much press, argumentation, hope and anxiety his "beautiful mystery" caused.
Tundraboy
February 25, 2022 at 02:33 pm
He would be a fool not to. I'm pretty certain he is not
stockholder
February 25, 2022 at 06:45 am
Even the best-laid plans can go astray. And Debt has a way of killing plans. So what mouse will escape the trap. Adams wants to play with Carr. Rodgers might retire. Gute can screw up any draft. Ball is pulling strings. And Murphy is leading us to the toilet Bowl. Seriously; Cash is King. If you don't have it. You can't afford it. I don't believe Gute has Done Enough. He started all the problems. And the current injuries have me believing "All in" is just a dream. Aaron Rodgers has been the impact player. The whole NFL knows it. The enemy can't wait for him to Leave. But Damn. When will the packers learn not to take the fun away. We've been in "recovery" for 10 plus years.
The_Baloney_Stops_Here
February 25, 2022 at 08:34 am
Gutekunst didnt create the problem. By drafting Love, he took a major step towarfs rectifying the problem. That problem being Aaron Rodgers and the qb-centric finesse offensive philosophy that has let this team down so many times. But for reasons I cannot f'ing fathom, they are getting cold feet and are now clutching onto said problem for dear life, consequences be damned. I really dont get it.
dobber
February 25, 2022 at 10:00 am
I don't think--after 2018 and 2019, when there was the battle-royale with MM and the reported chafing with LaF--anyone would've expected back-to-back MVPs. It's a credit to 12, that's for sure. That said, 2021 ARod looked a lot like 2019 ARod on the field. Whatever the case, they made a decision for the future in 2019 that was enabled by a QB prospect making it to a stage they were willing to pay for...and a future they knew they couldn't execute until last off-season (based on ARod's extension) at the soonest.
croatpackfan
February 25, 2022 at 12:01 pm
I believe for AR MVPs we should credit the whole team much more than credit him. But, that is how I see situation and may be wrong.
dobber
February 25, 2022 at 09:40 am
You need to stop randomly picking the middle word when you're writing your posts.
stockholder
February 25, 2022 at 09:56 am
And you need to stop listening to the music to crap by.
dobber
February 25, 2022 at 12:06 pm
Not music. I prefer puzzles.
Since'61
February 25, 2022 at 04:51 pm
I thought that you preferred cookies!!! Thanks, Since '61
CheesyTex
February 25, 2022 at 08:03 pm
On the crapper?
dobber
February 26, 2022 at 07:55 am
Is there ever a bad time for cookies?
Oppy
February 25, 2022 at 07:06 am
The ability to keep the team intact becomes more or less likely dependent on how "team" is defined.
In 2021, the Packers kept most of the team intact, although they did lose a few players, even starters, they kept the team intact.
In 2022, the only way I think the Packers can keep the team together without negatively affecting the long term health of the team is by trading Rodgers and letting Adams go. In that way, the Packers could probably keep the team together.
If it's remotely true that Rodgers camp is requesting $50M/yr + Keep Adams, was there ever really a team in team in the first place?.
KnockTheSnotOutOfYou
February 25, 2022 at 07:49 am
Change is hard for most everyone (I understand) and there are obviously many of those on here who are afraid to explore the new and uncertainty. Even if there is a good chance the team with the influx of talented new players and draft choices can make the team very competitive and quickly that will be around for quite a few years.
March 16th cannot come quick enough for me. In my opinion while everyone thinks Rodgers is the linchpin and main domino I really think it comes down to Adam's. Adam's and Rodgers are linked and will only play together. I believe Rodgers already knows where he wants to go (or stay) but he has to wait until the Adam's situation is resolved one way or another. Being a FA, I understand it creates significant issues whether he stays or is traded somehow. Therefore, once Adam's contract is resolved Rodgers will then make his decision known publicly but not before.
dobber
February 25, 2022 at 09:48 am
There are really only two possibilities here: the Packers plan to let Adams walk or they plan to tag him. There have reportedly been no contract talks between Adams and the Packers for a long time. Rodgers is smart enough to know this. I think you're spot on: 12 is waiting for the Packers to make their move so he can play against it in the public eye.
jurp
February 25, 2022 at 07:54 am
While it's true that there's no I in TEAM, there certainly is a ME in TEAM. I think Rodgers 100% believes that.
Bearmeat
February 25, 2022 at 07:18 am
If the front office thinks they're going to push all money into the 23/24 cap, then shoot for the super bowl in 22 and maybe 23, they're dumb as hell and they deserve to be fired. The Rodgers apologists are going to be SORELY disappointed in January of 23 when yet ANOTHER playoff choke bill comes due.
12 is a playoff choker. Like 4 before him. And it's been that way the past 5 years. Then let's talk about all the offseason drama and dumb AF McAfee screeds. NOPE.
If 12 is still the QB of the GB Packers next year, I will still watch, because I'm a Packers fan. But I will do absolutely nothing else between Sundays. It was hard enough to be a fan this year. Take the picks. Get a re-boot.
MOVE ON. PLEASE.
Coldworld
February 25, 2022 at 07:36 am
I will still enjoy the draft and new players/development aspect. As you say, still hope for a Packers victory, but have no real belief that in season success will lead to anything and no faith in the entire FO or Head Coach.
When your best strategy is pay a 38 year old at or near the highest QB pay to lead a depleted roster paid for by the years after then you are admitting you have no plan to return to competitiveness and remain there as a FO or Head Coach or use for picks. Just retry the same thrice failed (arguably more) approach.
Any real Board would step in and prevent this. Sadly we don’t have one. That doesn’t mean that any of this management team or FO have, or should have, my confidence. Welcome to two years of the definition of insanity exacerbated by Father Time and then years of paying for it.
Yes Bear, it will be hard to believe in this leadership now, even if Rodgers forces them to go the other way. Murphy should not survive till the season. I think my reaction will be very similar to yours until all of this crew is gone.
Bearmeat
February 25, 2022 at 07:43 am
Honestly, I have enough going on in my life right now. I don't NEED the Packers. I love them and have since I was a little kid. But love can take the form of removing oneself from their presence as well. Sometimes, the best thing you can do to someone who you care about who is destroying themselves is remove yourself from their equation.
If this happens, I will not believe in the direction the Packers are taking. Ergo, until the mistakes are fixed, I will not continue to buy Packers stuff, visit Packers sites, talk about the Packers a lot, or otherwise give them my money. I divorced college football years ago for the same reasons.
I realize that me "canceling" the Packers on all but a few Sundays a year won't dent their pocketbook at all. But it's the right thing to do.
Make the right choice, Murphy, Gute and LaFleur.
Coldworld
February 25, 2022 at 08:03 am
You, me, Jurp …. No it won’t hurt the Packers, but if it’s driving a wedge between the likes of us and the team, it’s likely driving the same with others and indicative of being out of touch. Surprising and sad, but this month or two has really shown the rot in the organization.
With hindsight, did we really think better would come from a leader who covered TTs physical decline and pushed Ball as a de facto GM until the team blew up? From a man who then constructed a truly opaque management structure and took on the choice of HC? Murphy cost us the best years of Rodgers in the later teens. Now he’s about to screw the franchise in the mid 20s. What a terrible legacy.
Johnblood27
February 25, 2022 at 09:32 am
But we have a sledding hill, so we have that going for us...
Oppy
February 25, 2022 at 06:41 pm
The TitleTown District and specifically the sledding hill have been targeted for being the brunt of jokes insinuating that Murphy and the Packers don't care about football and are distracted by other things.
In reality, what Titletown district is about is ensuring viability in the future for the NFL's smallest market, for a team that is not owned by a billionaire.
There's no guarantee that the NFL's profit sharing policies, which evenly divide revenue garnered through broadcasting contracts and other revenue streams, will be there in the future. Without the profit sharing, the Packers could very quickly find themselves in very difficult to navigate financial situations.
Titletown, and yes, the sledding hill, could someday be the difference between watching the Packers on sundays or only being able to visit one hell of a memorial at the local American Legion post.
Johnblood27
February 27, 2022 at 08:26 am
The bylaws have been changed, the American Legion post no longer receives the funds if the GBP go tits-up.
Just sayin...
Get a sense of humor, it was a play on Bill Murray in Caddyshack... so I have that going for me...
Oppy
February 27, 2022 at 09:40 am
I stand corrected on the Legion post; you are correct, it was changed in 1997 to direct any funds generated from a sale or closure of the team to the Green Bay Foundation, another not-for-profit which invests in community projects and enrichment.
I got the Bill Murray reference, but I also got the point of the joke, too, which indicates you don't seem to understand why the Packers are interested in expanding revenue streams outside of purely football related items.
barutanseijin
February 25, 2022 at 01:25 pm
If Rodgers is in, i’m out.
jurp
February 25, 2022 at 08:01 am
I wrote something similar above - why follow the team first into playoff failure and then during its descent into mediocrity for the rest of the decade? I divorced the Brewers and MLB when they cancelled the World Series and the Bucks and NBA when the games became ridiculously offensive-minded and not really fun to watch anymore. I can do the same with the Packers and NFL. Unlike you, I still follow Badgers football, but then I'm an alumnus and have no delusions that any team not from the professional SEC will ever win a Championship.
dobber
February 25, 2022 at 10:29 am
"I divorced the Brewers and MLB when they cancelled the World Series "
If they go to the universal DH, that will be the last straw for me. While I don't like watching pitchers hit, I DO like the fact that it's one of the last things keeping strategy and gamesmanship in baseball. Otherwise, MLB will have been killed by analytics and some misconceived notion that watching 15 guys strike out in a game so 2-3 guys can hit dingers is entertainment.
jannesbjornson
February 25, 2022 at 01:32 pm
Expansion killed the Pitching along with sensitive Multi-millionaire batters whining about the Inside pitch. Would they charge the mound with Bob Gibson tossing heat? etc etc etc...
barutanseijin
February 25, 2022 at 01:45 pm
I used to say that, too, but then the handwriting was already on the wall in the 1990s with the juicers’ home run derbies, sanctioned by winks and nods from Milwaukee’s own commish. Then you got juicer pitchers to throw at them and it got to be like men’s tennis. I tuned out just as McGuire-Soso started hitting them out. What a farce.
A baseball super purist might say that reducing the game to the battle between batter and pitcher takes the game back to its origins in cricket. The response to that is : then why not just follow cricket?
Coldworld
February 25, 2022 at 03:16 pm
I do, and it’s way more nuanced.
jurp
February 25, 2022 at 11:38 am
Interestingly, the post I'm referring to here no longer exists - it was a reply to one that must've gotten deleted. Not sure why the deletion, because that post wasn't offensive in any way. Hmm.
MainePackFan
February 25, 2022 at 06:27 pm
A smidge on the over dramatic side no?
Guam
February 25, 2022 at 08:20 am
Sadly CW, I think you have accurately encapsulated the Green Bay Packers of 2022. I was hoping all of this "We want Rodgers back" was FO smokescreen before a trade, but now I am starting to believe they really do want Rodgers back. Maybe Rodgers will bail out us fans by demanding a trade anyway, but your indictment of an ideologically bankrupt FO still stands. Very disappointing.
KnockTheSnotOutOfYou
February 25, 2022 at 07:54 am
I'm with you Bearmeat!
It would truly make it very difficult as a Packer fan to watch and be motivated to stay up on all Packer things. The 70's and 80's were very difficult times to be a fan and I do not want to experience that again just for the chance that a 'weaker' team in 2022 is kept together because there might be a chance no matter how slight they might win a SB. Let's take the smart road and make the trades and the influx of talented players and draft choices and fill in the blanks around our other young and talented players building for the long haul.
MarkinMadison
February 25, 2022 at 07:19 am
Two words: New Orleans.
I agree with KnocktheSnotOutofYou - I hope this is just a smokescreen.
It's time to move on. Moving on sucks. But. It. Is. Time. Anything else is a self-serving delusion.
jannesbjornson
February 25, 2022 at 01:40 pm
I'll take Cam Jordan any day....
Oppy
February 25, 2022 at 06:44 pm
I am hopeful this is nothing more than posturing, smokescreens, and/or a game of chicken between Rodgers and the Packers.
I will be sorely disappointed if they don't move on from Rodgers to the future, as opposed to keeping Rodgers at the expense of the future.
mbpacker
February 25, 2022 at 07:37 am
Even in the Quietest Moments............
Booner
February 25, 2022 at 07:40 am
All the Rodgers haters out there need to go be Jets Fans! Without a franchise QB it will be nuclear winter in GB! I would rather be relevant every year than a toilet seat licker like the Jets!
jurp
February 25, 2022 at 08:04 am
All the Rodgers lovers out there need to realize that if we extend Rodgers and re-sign Adams GB WILL BE the Jets starting in 24 and lasting the rest of the decade and possibly beyond.
Nick Foles (and Carson Wentz during the regular season) won a Super Bowl a few years ago, and neither of them are franchise QBs. Wake up and visit reality.
Coldworld
February 25, 2022 at 08:17 am
I stopped reading when I saw him equate Rodgers with permanent contention. Rodgers is a man nearing 40 who has already mused about retirement. Yes, plan your next decade around Rodgers ….
Rarescope
February 25, 2022 at 08:41 am
“All the Rodgers lovers out there need to realize that if we extend Rodgers and re-sign Adams GB WILL BE the Jets starting in 24 and lasting the rest of the decade and possibly beyond.“
And Russia could rule the world by then and the only sporting events will be comprised of doped up russian figure skaters. Not in charge of it, not going to worry about it.
Coldworld
February 25, 2022 at 02:03 pm
I don’t think this is the place to be referencing what Russia is doing in jest. State sponsored murder and denial of basic rights isn’t remotely humerous. Even paying Rodgers 50 million a year isn’t remotely comparable to that.
Rarescope
February 25, 2022 at 08:38 am
No doubt man. Reading these comments every day is making me think they need to change the name of the site to the “We Hate Rodgers Fanclub” or something. So we didn’t win a super bowl again because of a bunch of reasons, so did 31 other teams. But man there were some awesome memories in the regular season and if you can’t enjoy those I hope you are prepared to be perennially disappointed.
jurp
February 25, 2022 at 11:35 am
The NFL is not about the regular season, it's about winning the championship. Period.
Coldworld
February 25, 2022 at 12:42 pm
Especially when the plan appears to be to mortgage half a decade or more to do it! Divisions are only a step. The fun is in getting better. Decline isn’t fun. Less so still when one knows that we will still be paying for it in lost picks and dead cap for years.
Johnblood27
February 27, 2022 at 08:24 am
Hey Math Major, if we (the GBP) and 31 other teams didn't win the SB, then NOBODY won the SB because there are only 32 teams in the NFL.
The_Baloney_Stops_Here
February 25, 2022 at 08:44 am
Your hippie cleanse god has the same amount of championship rings as Trent Dilfer, Joe Flacco, Nick Foles, Doug Williams, and Shaun King. Consider that before blanket judging people for refusing to idolize this egomaniac.
Rarescope
February 25, 2022 at 11:25 am
I could not care less who you idolize. Rodgers is a flawed human being just like the rest of us. The Packers have given me many wonderful memories over the past two decades and while the vocal bunch on this website seem to be of the super bowl or bust variety I choose to enjoy the journey regardless of the destination.
jurp
February 25, 2022 at 11:37 am
When the journey continues to end in disappointment, it no longer becomes fun - just a waste of time. Maybe you'll learn that as you grow older.
Leatherhead
February 25, 2022 at 07:36 pm
A man after my own heart . I just want to put a good team on the field and hope for the best. It’s a tough game. You get guys hurt, you get hosed by the refs, you lose a game you could have won. That’s the fun part about competing. Overcoming and moving on.
barutanseijin
February 25, 2022 at 01:51 pm
You forgot Stafford
Johnblood27
February 25, 2022 at 09:34 am
One too many "o's"
BirdDogUni
February 25, 2022 at 07:59 am
LMAO - All the hand wringing is amazing. Tbh, I figured it was a sure thing AR/DA were gone and this would be Love's team this year. Apparently, Gutey & Ball have come up with enough cap gymnastics to overcome the loss of very few players. I admit I didn't see this coming, but if that is the way the FO is going to play it, there isn't much we can do or say about it.
AR could throw us a curve ball and request a trade or retire, but I just don't see him retiring.
I am taking Gutey at his word, so unless AR publicly requests a trade, I'd expect him to be back,, along with DA. If that is the way it's going to be, I will be looking forward to the Combine and Draft.
Sure the draft day rumors will be flying hot and heavy. If Gutey ends up flipping Love for a '23 1st rounder, it wouldn't surprise me a bit. Gutey may be even smarter than I gave him credit for.
I wish they would film all the behind the scenes conversations and then in ten years bring them out on NFL films. I wish they would do it for all the teams, including draft talk, so we could hear the motivations behind some of the moves they make. (Talk about entertainment.)
Coldworld
February 25, 2022 at 08:20 am
It would indeed be interesting, but in the end responsibility is collective unless one breaks ranks. Ultimately, I don’t think a Rodgers and Adams led roster makes for much opportunity for interest as we will be almost entirely devoid of other options than the draft and bargain bin SFAs.
BirdDogUni
February 25, 2022 at 11:23 am
"We live in a different world than we did just 30 seconds ago..."
I can think of plenty of teams who wish they had a FHOF QB/WR combo and hope they can find ways to do things differently this year to make it to the big dance.
If the only thing we do as a team to improve is eliminate the mistakes on STs we're better than we were last year. Looking at our core players and the upcoming draft class, I see us right in the thick of things again next year. Even if the only changes are coaching decisions and strategy, we have the core of a championship team. Sure, we have some tough decisions to be made, but they do every year.
If Tom Clements gets Rodgers back to finding 9 - 10 different receivers a game like 2011, we'll be a better team. It's not like Rodgers can't find the open receiver, because we've all seen him do it. Maybe just Clements coming back is the key ingredient to Rodgers seeing the field better?
They say the margin between winning and losing is hair's width, well, if Rodgers comes back and plays like an MVP, we will definitely have a shot. I truly believe that. We will need for luck to be with us, but any team who wins a Super Bowl these days has had a bit of luck.
The Rams were lucky A% to get Von Miller and OBJ. They were also lucky OBJ wasn't hurt in the NFCCG or earlier in the SB. I don't think the Rams win the Super Bowl if OBJ didn't play.
I am confident our 53 man roster will be easily as good as our roster last season if AR/DA are both back, and Gutey drafts well. I definitely believe if the guys who should be gone are gone, we'll be a better team this year.
Lets hope it's enough to get us another Lombardi trophy.
jurp
February 25, 2022 at 11:40 am
I wish I had your rose-colored glasses, but I don't see what you see.
BirdDogUni
February 25, 2022 at 09:28 pm
I don't know how to explain it any better to you. If AR/DA come back, our offense will be just as good as last year. May be better depending on the draft and development of young players, and who we're able to bring back.
Defense may be better depending the draft, who develops, and who we're able to bring back.
STs will definitely be better. Will we be healthier? IDK. Will we be luckier? IDK.
But to think our 53 this year will be worse than last year before we actually know is %'in silly.
Especially when it's possible we're actually much better.
croatpackfan
February 25, 2022 at 12:20 pm
You understand that you are talking about person who run out of team the man who made him star, and that run out was more than ugly. That man has no gratitude for anyone, other the persons who serve his purposes.
I'm not Mike McCarthy appologist and I believe he kept 2 years to long, but parting the way with person for who you testified by yourself that he made you as player, the way AR did it is so low, like below 0° Kelvin.
Also, after he said what he had said publicly before the TC last season, you still have balls to requestes from the franchise to please you... for me it is unbelievable. So selfish and self orientated. That kind of person is no leader of the men.
Leatherhead
February 25, 2022 at 05:19 pm
What do we need? We’ll be set on offense.
Defensively, we can get along without Z. Resign Douglas. Replace Campbell. We’re ready to roll.
I’m just not buying this narrative that the team will be weaker if we retain Rodgers. Cobb and Z save $22 million and we won’t even miss them. . We’ve already reworked Jones and Clark for some breathing room, and reworking Rodgers will give us more.
We should be the division favorite, IMO. We should have one of the top offenses in the NFC.
dobber
February 25, 2022 at 10:07 am
"LMAO - All the hand wringing is amazing.... I will be looking forward to the Combine and Draft."
Well stated, BDG, and a purty accurate assessment of where this all sits. We're all fans and highly invested in the team both now and in the future, but the frustrating part is that none of our opinions matter in the grand scheme. Once this clears, we move on...
NickPerry
February 25, 2022 at 08:02 am
Gute did his best to bring Championship #14 to Green Bay last year but his team couldn't get it done. Just reading some of the comments of some of those whose opinions I respect the most here at CHTV, have pretty much said it all. I think most everyone agrees, there is no way to keep Rodgers and Adams without destroying the future of the Green Bay Packers.
I look at Sportac or Over The Cap and and feel for the fans of the New Orleans Saints. Mickey Mouse Lommis did the EXACT same thing in New Orleans that Gute is doing now. He went ALL IN on a QB whose arm was a wet noodle LONG before he threw his last pass in the NFL. He paid a younger WR than Adams an ABSURD amount of money in 2019. Since that contract Thomas has managed to play just 7 games in 2020, ZERO last season, and rumor's are his ankle will never be the same.
Since then the Saints are in cap HELL and are heading into year 2 of life without Brees and are STILL $80 MILLON OVER the cap. They watched one of their best YOUNG players walk away and join the Saints (Troy Henderson) because they COULNDN'T pay him themselves.
I've defended Gute ALL THE WAY since becoming the GM. But if he really does bring Rodgers and Adams back, and loses and of the Packers younger players who DESERVE a 2nd contract due to a blown up cap (Alexander, Jenkins, Savage), or extensions, P Smith, Amos, or resigned (Douglas, Campbell) then Gute, Murphy, Ball, ALL NEED TO GO!
They are playing with plastic money, not real money. The interest is going to be HIGH, and the cost is going to be the Packers future.
Rarescope
February 25, 2022 at 11:32 am
“I think most everyone in the CHTV echo chamber agrees, there is no way to keep Rodgers and Adams without destroying the future of the Green Bay Packers.”
FTFY. Go check out insider inbox on the packers website for a more balanced (and informed) view of football.
And apologies to those of you out there actually putting out well thought comments, I know you are out there.
Coldworld
February 25, 2022 at 12:45 pm
The Packers website is fine, but it’s full of the homers’ homers and deference. I also find the level of knowledge typically slight in postings filtered by the Packers team (something they do not deny and shouldn’t surprise). That’s fine, but not very informative nor encouraging of thought. Thought here (agreeable to me or not) is the important thing, not blindly kissing the organizational behind. Typically we are vigorously divided.
That seldom happens on the franchise site. That should tell you something for disputation is the nature of invested fandom. Also, coming in late, you should know, that these discussions have been many and thus to some extent we’ve distilled opinions by this point. Most of the posters you are reading have also been posting for years too.
Fubared
February 25, 2022 at 01:07 pm
The Minnesota Wild are a good example of what your talking about too. 7 years ago they acquired two players and gave them each mega 10 year contracts. They were the promissed land. (Rodgers/Adams)
They got old and became unproductive and were bought out with 3 three remaining on those contracts. Each will get 9 mil a year for the next three years and they are not even on the team contributing.
I tell pack fans watch out what you wish for. Adams is 30 and getting old for a receiver and Rodgers is 39 and looking old already.
Give them the farm and you destroy the team for years to come.
Leatherhead
February 25, 2022 at 08:38 am
Angst for breakfast..
Not the direction I would have gone, but you could see this coming. We’re going to have a pretty good team in 2022 and I’ll be watching with interest.
We went all in. Super Bowl or bust. People liked that. Now we’re going to do it again, and people don’t like it.
I’ll wait to see the final product on the field before I start taking shots at the front office. There’s a lot of premature evaluation taking place .
Rarescope
February 25, 2022 at 08:45 am
Refreshing to read a comment from someone who doesn’t have a crystal ball. There will be football this fall and. I will enjoy the good plays. That’s enough for me.
Coldworld
February 25, 2022 at 09:24 am
Leatherhead, I was in favor of the last shot. It made sense. The team could come out if it without a cap hangover and with extra trade pieces. I still think it was the right way to go last season.
This year is wholly different. For one thing I feel that we learned a lot about LaFleur and I didn’t see growth. We also saw the second attempt with a good roster flame out and for similar reasons. In addition though, redoing it again now sacrificed all trade value and piles cap forward at a level that outstrips likely cap jumps and beyond the time many players will be playing for us.
No picks, huge future cap burdens and a somewhat weaker roster (particularly in terms of depth) to try the same thing. Yes, I don’t know the final roster, but I do know the constraints and TGR has done an excellent job of breaking them down for us too. That’s a very different proposition to me. One I can not find any basis to believe is good for the franchise.
Leatherhead
February 25, 2022 at 09:42 am
No picks? Weaker roster?
We have picks. I'm not sure the roster is weaker when you factor in the development of younger players. Stokes, probably better. Alexander, back from injury. Bakhtiari. Myers.......
I see us lining up an offense that features the MVP at QB, a top WR in Adams, a very good backfield combo AND a very good group of offensive linemen. How many teams in this league wish they could match that?
I don't know about 2024 and beyond. I could be dead. Russia could invade us. Covid 38, X variant, could wipe out the season. But for 2022, I think we're going to be able to put a real good team on the field.
Like I said, this isn't the way I would have gone, but if it's the way my team is going then I'm going to get behind it. As always, win the division, make it to the dance, and we've got a chance. Two years in a row we've lost a close game to one of the very best teams in the league. Both times, we could have played better. We can compete with this team.
Coldworld
February 25, 2022 at 10:02 am
I do like that your glass is half full as often as it is. Yes there’s hope we can get relatively close. But relatively is still lesser and the other factors remain unchanged. Guess my glass is half empty again. Do you still have any of your old Denver vintage?
dobber
February 25, 2022 at 10:23 am
We're rapidly heading down the Mike Sherman path...key pieces up front, but--IMO--quality depth will wither rapidly. Sherman had some pretty effective teams, but their overall performance had a lot to do with health, because his ineptitude as a roster manager killed team depth.
"Both times, we could have played better. We can compete with this team."
I think you and I agree on many fronts. I think we disagree on others. I agree that whatever happens this offseason, we'll both be here rooting for this team in 2022. I applaud your optimism, but "this team"--which arguably your mean the team that finished the 2021 season--won't be playing in 2022. We don't know what "this team" is, yet, because so many pieces will have to be adjusted (Campbell is already likely gone) to make room for the QB and the WR.
Growth, and competing, in 2022 relies on immediate impact rookies, development in rookie contract guys, and staying really healthy. The fact that they "could have played better" but didn't, and this has been a repeating song over the last 10 years in the playoffs, leads one to believe that other teams DO find a way to play better when it matters, but this team doesn't. I'm starting to think Sisyphus would be proud of this team's stick-to-itiveness.
Leatherhead
February 25, 2022 at 11:17 am
dobber, I coached HS football here in Texas for a while. And usually before the season was over, we were already looking at next year. Same here.
We DO know what this team will be in 2022. Maybe not every detail of it, but the framework is there.
1) Win with offense. We have a rare QB playing well. We have a very good backfield. The offensive line returns quite a few good players. That's our offense. Remember, over half of the plays in the game go to the RBs. Now, if we can retain Adams, or add another good receiver, that's about 70% of the offense. The rest is filled out by guys we already have like Lazard and Deguara.
2) As I have stated for 3 years now, this is an above average defense, regardless of who the defensive coordinator is or who is hurt and unavailable. Half of our gameday 21 for the upcoming season are already on the roster.
Savage, Stokes, Amos, Alexander
Gary, PSmith, Barnes
Clark, Lowry, Slaten.
Those are the starters, without any additions in the draft, or without resigning anybody like Campbell, Douglas, Sullivan, etc.
We're going to have guys who can cover, and we're going to have guys who can pressure. And we already know that.
I'm frustrated by our inability to win playoff games where we're at home and favored, but I'm seeing the sense in the plan to build on top of what we have instead of doing a bunch of new construction. I don't agree with it, but I can see the sense in it.
croatpackfan
February 25, 2022 at 12:28 pm
I lost you at "We have a rare QB playing well." I agree only that we have rare QB who is playing last 3 years in declining mode. All DC in the NFL expose him. They know how he functioning. They know what they need to do. Just slow Packers offense to the level he will become unpatient and you'll win.
Leatherhead
February 25, 2022 at 03:25 pm
He’s a first ballot HOF, he’s won four MVPs. That’s rare. He may be declining in your eyes, but those MVPs say otherwise.
croatpackfan
February 26, 2022 at 03:51 am
As I alteafy stated, that award (MVP) is more team award than personal one. Second, his stats were made more on team cost than on his excelence. Low TD/INT ratio came from many throws away. Those kind of throws might be justified, but many of them is thrown away to preserve that ratio in crucial moments of the games, when risking throws might bring you victory. You may try to justify many of the throws and if you calculate his selfishness, you'll find that justification is not logical. Just take last two loses in the post season where he was throwing only to Davante, ignoring in both cases open Alen Lazard and some other players.
So MVP is more popularity contest than really battle of the best QBs in the year.
For me the best season of all QBs had Josh Allen. Because many games he was carring Bills on his shoulders. Aaron Rodgers was lucky that his worst game came in week 1, while Josh Allen had that kind of game, in much worse weather, later in the season.
KnockTheSnotOutOfYou
February 25, 2022 at 09:50 am
LH,
As you know we are not talking about just 2022, but also the 5 or 8 years after as well.
Leatherhead
February 25, 2022 at 09:58 am
We cannot predict the future 5 or 8 years out. Did anybody think Burrow would be that good, that fast? Or that Stafford would lead a team to a Super Bowl? No.
The problem in front of us is the 2022 season. It looks like they have a plan to keep a very good team mostly intact. A year from now, we'll have a better idea of if this was a good plan or not.
Coldworld
February 25, 2022 at 02:09 pm
The problem in front of us is not the 2022 season but any season implicated in it by moves made for 2022. The problem in my view is both, but I reject the single season perspective even more adamantly.
Lphill
February 25, 2022 at 08:45 am
After reading these comments doesn’t appear to be many Packers fans here .
Coldworld
February 25, 2022 at 09:29 am
I see a lot of long term and deeply committed Packer fans commenting. The fact that they don’t believe in resigning Rodgers in light of perceived harm to the franchise emphasizes that they are Packer fans not fans of memories, QBs or beating a bad division as the overall goal.
So I really don’t care whether you consider me a fan, but you are full of it regarding those I’ve long read and discussed all things Packers with here.
There were similar comments when I was an advocate for Rodgers taking over from Favre. Quite a few that posted then disappeared. I and many of those you impugn are still here (whichever side of that debate they were on).
13TimeChamps
February 25, 2022 at 10:12 am
Kind of ironic when you think about it. In the 2 years or so since I've been on this site, this poster (Lphill) has repeatedly ridiculed fans for settling for "participation trophies", i.e. anything less than a Super Bowl. Yet he obviously idolizes the leader of the team who has done just that for the past 11 years.
It's obvious he's a Rodgers fan, not a Green Bay Packer fan. Yet he wants to accuse others who actually care about the future of this franchise as not being true Packer fans. Again, the irony.
LambeauPlain
February 25, 2022 at 09:28 am
Doesn't appear to be many fans of $50 Million QBs here.
There, fixed it for you.
Tundraboy
February 25, 2022 at 06:12 pm
Lol, Exactly!! Nor a fan of 2 players making $80 million and and nothing left to improve,the DL,ST and LB.
dobber
February 25, 2022 at 10:34 am
For someone who shits on players, coaching, and management as much as you do, that's quite a statement.
13TimeChamps
February 25, 2022 at 01:53 pm
I distinctly remember him admonishing Gute for "being in over his head" as a GM for not signing Khalil Mack awhile back. And the GM who apparently did know what he was doing (sarcasm) by pulling that trade off has since been fired and the Bears still haven't won a playoff game since that trade.
croatpackfan
February 25, 2022 at 12:32 pm
Your view is wrong. This site is full of Packers fans, just not more Aaron Rodgers fans, we all were in the past.
LambeauPlain
February 25, 2022 at 09:26 am
So the Rodgers camp wants $50,000,000 per year. Why was this leaked now? Perhaps to let potential suitors know his price prior to finalizing a trade offer? Several teams have called the Packers about trade deals. I think Gutey is playing poker with chips called Rodgers and Adams...get an offer "he can't refuse."
It tells me Rodgers will do absolutely nothing to help his team. A $50 Million QB should have more than just one SB and one NFCCG win. And I am certain Gutey has shared his roster strategy outline to Rodgers should they pay the $50 Million Man. It would indeed be a rebuild, something the $50 Million Man has no interest in doing.
Coldworld
February 25, 2022 at 09:39 am
I agree, though I do feel it’s necessary to point out that that’s not entirely his fault. He could help another team or here in an alternative universe where we had more resources to put around him and didn’t need to hamstring 5 years to do so. That universe would also not include LaFleur.
What last season and after have shown me is that the looked for growth in LaFleur hasn’t materialized and in fact, exposed more issues. Rodgers with this cap and that coach is not positioned to succeed in my view. That’s why this is a ludicrous strategy. He’s part of it but, unfortunately, not the whole of it.
Now it appears that LaFleur is symptomatic of the FO lacking conviction and vision. As I’ve said before, we are stuck with that for now anyway, but more picks and cap gives us the best chance to come through that metaphorical organizational panchakarma.
dobber
February 25, 2022 at 12:16 pm
Pass the ghee....
Coldworld
February 25, 2022 at 12:52 pm
I’m guessing one would, yes.
dobber
February 25, 2022 at 01:17 pm
That's the point!
No double entendre left unturned...
Coldworld
February 25, 2022 at 02:15 pm
But it’s good for the soil
Coldworld
February 25, 2022 at 02:17 pm
Duplicate
Fubared
February 25, 2022 at 01:10 pm
I dont think they have any plans to trade Rodgers or Adams. IF they do it may be their jobs down the line. They fear losing Rodgers because they know what Love can and cant do and its not pretty.
PatrickGB
February 25, 2022 at 02:38 pm
https://packerswire.usatoday.com/2022/02/25/reports-of-aaron-rodgers-wan...
Oppy
February 25, 2022 at 06:56 pm
According to who?
Oh, Aaron Rodgers himself, you say?
Isn't that the guy who bald face lied to the public about being immunized?
dobber
February 26, 2022 at 08:03 am
The question is: where did the original "$50M" number come from?
Oppy
February 26, 2022 at 09:15 am
In all honesty, I think the reported number is nothing more than a guess based on what a few sources around the league probably said they think the ceiling that someone might ask for at the QB position is.
I still can not take anything Rodgers says at face value. He's been using manipulative language for at least a decade and, frankly, his recent lying has only enforced my perception that he's a snake and a fraud.
tincada
February 26, 2022 at 10:16 am
And that's why we both root for the same shitty team, NFC N and out.
Ferrari-Driver
February 28, 2022 at 12:18 am
As far as the NFL is concerned, Super Bowl Championships are the gold at the end of the rainbow. When we talk about teams, glowing remarks center around the number of championships they have won. We don't talk much about how many George Halas Trophies NFC teams have won, but Lombardi Trophies are GOLD.
If Gute thinks he can rework contracts and extend payments and come out of it with another chance to win another Lombardi Trophy, I'm all for it. It's very hard to get a Lombardi trophy, just as the the Vikings and the Lions. Once that window closes it may be a long to get another chance. I had to withstand all the jokes and remarks for decades after Vince left for Washington, just like some of the older Packer fans on this site and it isn't fun.
BirdDogUni
February 25, 2022 at 10:45 pm
Lets take it a step further. Wouldn't it be malpractice to have a FHOF QB/WR and a chance to win another Lombardi Trophy and squander it by trading said QB for magic beans?
As soon as the season ended, I was sure we were going to trade AR. Now, I'm praying he wants to come back, so I can see what kind of team Gutey can assemble this year and how he's going to get it done.
Only time will tell.
dobber
February 26, 2022 at 07:54 am
"Wouldn't it be malpractice to have a FHOF QB/WR and a chance to win another Lombardi Trophy and squander it by trading said QB for magic beans?"
There's a pretty significant chunk of the fan base that's been accusing Packers management of malpractice for years.
There's no answer to this mess that will be palatable to everyone...or likely even to a simple majority of the fan base.
Since'61
February 25, 2022 at 10:05 am
If Gute actually plans to do what he has stated, then all I can say is Major Lipton's(played by James Donald) last line from "The Bridge on the River Kwai";
"Madness, Madness." Thanks, Since '61
Coldworld
February 25, 2022 at 05:41 pm
Now that is a truly classic movie!
Since'61
February 26, 2022 at 09:52 pm
Absolutely Coldworld! One of my favorites. Thanks, Since '61
Leatherhead
February 25, 2022 at 06:19 pm
Actually, I love that movie, but the madness of it........
The bridge was destroyed. That's a win. The enemy was defeated. That's a win. The building of the bridge gave the officers and men a mission that built morale, and that was a win. And Alec Guiness defeated his tormentor. Win.
So yeah, there was a madness to it, but it was a ripping success of a mission, even with the loss of lives.
Since'61
February 26, 2022 at 10:07 pm
Yes LH, you are correct the mission was a success but the Madness is about the waste, the loss and how unnecessary it all should be. Regrettably it's happening again as we post. Thanks, Since '61
beerandbrats
February 25, 2022 at 10:35 am
I think everyone was pretty disappointed with the way the Brett Favre departure went down. It seems to me that all the Packers really got out of that deal was a severe case of sour grapes and a revenge tour. My biggest fear is that we walk away with nothing once again. We don't win another SB with AR12 and we don't get draft picks to reload for the future. That would be very disappointing!
tincada
February 28, 2022 at 11:14 am
If anybody put it more sincintly give them a free ticket to an average home game.
PatrickGB
February 25, 2022 at 10:42 am
Good grief! This team has excelled for the last three years. Sure, I lament the fact that we did not make it to the super bowl. Yet our record is superb. I have little doubt that if not for the Niners loss we would have been there. And that was a fluke. Also, everyone agrees that Rodgers is the key to our offense. If Gutie believes that keeping Aaron is doable and keeping most key players is the best way to make the playoffs then I support that over the idea of blowing up the roster. Letting Adams and Z walk, picking up a few FA’s and keeping the rest may be the best option. Sure, maybe not #1 seed but all they have to do is remain competitive.
jurp
February 25, 2022 at 11:50 am
Personally, I think the OL and the RBs are the key to the offense. An average OL = Rodgers (assuming he's extended) getting hit and sacked more than is good for him and Jones and Dillon getting poor yardage. Take away the run, and the pass offense suffers, especially since Adams (assuming franchise tag or new contract) is our only proven receiver, with Lazard #2 and some JAGs after that.
If Adams walks, AR is done as a Packer. If he stays or goes, there won't be a lot of cap room for any decent FAs, either.
Competitive means "on any given day, able to beat even the better teams in the League"; it doesn't mean "Championship team".
Fubared
February 25, 2022 at 12:56 pm
You got a guy on the team that really doesnt care about winning playoff games. This guy is more concerned with his passer rating and avoiding interceptions so no one can blame him for the loss.
Rodgers doesnt play to win like Manning and Brady but plays not to lose because of him.
He threw one fricking pass to someone not named Adams. Why. Doesnt trust the others to catch it, even when they were wide open.
Like one analyst said, Manning and Brady have something Rodgers does not have, the ability to talk about how they battled back in playoff games and won. Rodgers has only one thing to brag about, how he has the best passer rating then anyone and that is his claim to fame he protects with his life.
croatpackfan
February 26, 2022 at 04:02 am
" I have little doubt that if not for the Niners loss we would have been there."
Is this the sentence you are writing down for last 11 years? Well with one small change. Instead of Niners you need to put different teams, like Giants, Seahawks, Cardinals, Bucs, Falcons, Niners, several times...
tincada
February 28, 2022 at 11:20 am
"This team has excelled for the last three years." Seriously what drugs are you on? Or better yet what local bar do you hang out at since your bar is that low.
Bitternotsour
February 25, 2022 at 12:34 pm
Gutekunst main difference from Thompson isn't free agency, it's spin. Thompson simply wouldn't have engaged in any of this back and forth. He would have said something like, "there's a lot of business that happens in the NFL, and we'll do what's best for the Green Bay Packers". That's what Gutekunst will do too, but he'll coddle the fanbase in the process.
The Packers are a big business, and they have strategic plans that are more than year-to-year documents. I refuse to believe this is going to be a year of reactive ass-covering.
Rodgers is gone. Hopefully it's less wrenching than getting rid of Favre.
croatpackfan
February 25, 2022 at 12:40 pm
That is your right. So, I hope for you and all of us "that your sentence "they have strategic plans that are more than year-to-year documents." is truth.
Since'61
February 25, 2022 at 06:01 pm
Bitter - the Packers are a big business but they are a non-profit business. Therefore they have different driving forces than a for profit business. Specifically they are driven by maintaining their image and their revenue streams. Profit businesses are also driven by their image and their revenue streams but they are also driven by creating earnings for their shareholders and being flexible to adapt to changing consumer, regulatory and while maintaining efficiency. Profit business have strategic plans to address and mitigate these conditions. Most importantly profit businesses do not remain over invested in a declining market or a marginal business model.
The Packers have solid revenue streams but that can change quickly if the team plummets into a losing cycle. I would argue that the Packers have a marginal business model if they proceed with a plan that retains Rodgers and Adams and pushes significant cap money into the future. It could result in short term success on the field but it is not sustainable beyond the short. Profit business plans are not based on hope because hope is not a plan.
In the for profit world the market punishes companies that do not or cannot adjust out moded operating models or strategies. The NFL punishes teams with the salary cap. Suppose Covid or another pandemic or some other unforeseen event reduces or minimizes the salary cap again in 2023 or 24 or 25. What if pushing all this money into the future limits the FAs that the Packers can sign in those same years. What if Rodgers and/or Adams are injured and we have all this money tied up for nothing?
There are numerous variables that impact any plan but in the case of the Packers the salary cap is a hard cap and regardless of whether it increases in the next few years those increases can be used up easily by continually pushing money into the future.
I'm not against keeping the band together but not at the price of sacrificing the team's future for several or more seasons. Thanks, Since '61
jannesbjornson
February 25, 2022 at 06:31 pm
“In the garden, growth has it seasons. First comes spring and summer, but then we have fall and winter. And then we get spring and summer again.” Chance the Gardener
Since'61
February 26, 2022 at 04:47 pm
Well done jannesbjornson! Thanks, Since '61
Ferrari-Driver
February 28, 2022 at 12:28 am
That was truly a classic and thought it was Peter Sellers at his best.
Bitternotsour
February 25, 2022 at 07:31 pm
NFL teams are billionaire playthings, they're not profit engines. To think otherwise is naive. There are no corporate boards, no p&l statements. Where in the world do you think that exists? That the Packers are collectively owned doesn't affect the way they do business. If it did, the NFL would yank the franchise. We are a quaint though necessary piece of their antitrust exemption.
Not a single owner needs income from their clubs. You can't buy an NFL team if you need the income. That's why Trump couldn't buy the Buffalo Bills - he was too poor, a fraud. The only time a club sells is if the owner dies and the kids can't decide how to split the pie. Then - the true spoils show up - watch the Denver price tag and compare to when Pat Bowlin bought the team.
Since'61
February 26, 2022 at 04:45 pm
I did not compare the Packers with other NFL teams. I compared them with for profit businesses since they are a non-profit business. You brought up the fact every team has strategic plans. If the teams are playthings why do they need strategic plans.
I agree that many NFL teams are playthings for their owners, however if you think that all of the the owners are not concerned about earning profits from their teams you are mistaken. They may not need the extra money but that doesn't mean that they don't want to make profits form their teams. If that were true why would they be concerned with filling their stadiums and increasing their ticket prices every season? The concept that the owners don't care about profits from their teams is a myth.
I was a consultant to the NFL for several years and I visited 12 of the teams during that time and all of them had P&L statements. The consulting company which I co-owned had a non-football contract. Our role was to study the non-football business operations of the teams and then to develop recommendations of how the teams could improve their business operations by re-engineering their non-football processes. Also we were tasked with which processes could be outsourced to a 3rd party administrator which could support all the teams. The purpose of all this was to help the teams reduce their fixed expenses and yes, maximize their profits. About 2/3 of the owners at the time were very concerned about generating earnings from their teams. And I can assure you that the current group of owners are much more greedy than they were back in the early 2000s. Why do you think they jump on every money grab they can get their hands on? Like TNF and playing games in Europe and Mexico and most recently signing massive TV deal. It's all about the money. Always was and always will be. If you think that it is not about the money then you are probably the naive one. As for the Packers, why do you think they sell "shares" of stock in the team. Because as a non-profit it gives them a venue to ask for donations and send us glorified thank you cards as shares of stock in the team. Thanks, Since '61
Ferrari-Driver
February 28, 2022 at 12:33 am
You hit that nail on the head.
skyler
February 25, 2022 at 12:38 pm
Stafford would have never been to a SB, without the key pieces around him and excellent experienced coaching staff. Rodgers is no different. Sure, Rodgers is a better QB with less Int. than Stafford. Rams went all in and won it and we did too and didn't. After seeing Rodgers in the playoffs the past 10 years and especially the last 2 years, I would never bring him back. The decision to keep Ted around the last few years knowing his health and mental condition shows extremely poor judgment. Now Management is entertaining the notion to break the bank on Rodgers and by that making the overall roster weaker due to cap issue and expecting different playoff results is ludicrous. The SB desert will continue
Fubared
February 25, 2022 at 12:51 pm
I thought I may have written this. Hey, who are the absolute play makers that take you to the super bowl. This teams lacks talent and speed on offense and defense. Keeping the band together doesn't fix that or anything else.
Gutt and Murphy understand a lot of these guys who are avg can be bought off for next to nothing because no one else is going to jump up and down to have them. They know that too. Were hoping Rodgers to Adams is enough to win games.
Leatherhead
February 25, 2022 at 06:11 pm
Rodgers, during his tenure in Green Bay, has had plenty of key pieces around him.
PhantomII
February 25, 2022 at 06:43 pm
Pretty sure Stafford could have beat SF with our team as he would spread the ball around to open receivers.
Fubared
February 25, 2022 at 12:46 pm
My take, we have some members of the band who arent playing sweet music. Gutt and Murphy are on a slippery slope here hoping to save their job appealing to all of Rodgers demands. Bad idea.
Shemar Charles, Sullivan, Allen, St Brown, Amos, Crosby, are not guys with the skills to take you to the SB. They are deadwood.
MVS could be let go to and replaced with a faster, taller, quicker receiver - draft is loaded this year.
For me the band needs to be partially broken up with some players let to for lack of contribution at the NFL level. If not, next season deja vu all over if your lucky. The Vikes, Lions and Bears will be better thats a given.
dobber
February 25, 2022 at 12:52 pm
"Shemar Charles, Sullivan, Allen, St Brown, Amos, Crosby, are not guys with the skills to take you to the SB. "
Let me guess: they all looked heavy this season..they lost a step. They're not smart enough to play in the NFL.
Alberta_Packer
February 25, 2022 at 02:22 pm
Part of watching Gutekunst's press conference - was like watching a hostage read their own ransom note - especially about the team coming back. It seems that Murphy just ripped a page from the PR Handbook and told Gutekunst to read it. I have some empathy for Gutekunst because I think that he's stuck between a rock and a hard place - with Murphy and MLF. Murphy, as an aging executive who wants a SB to punctuate what basically has been an unspectacular Presidency. While MLF, realizing that his professional success is largely dependent on him continuing to ride the coattails of A. Rodgers.
PatrickGB
February 25, 2022 at 02:49 pm
Let’s just wait and see what really happens before we all overreact. (myself included) I have fussed about the cap all year and agree with some posters who have lamented that. Yet I just don’t know how it will turn out and will not abandon my fandom just because the FO doesn’t do what I want.
beerandbrats
February 25, 2022 at 03:35 pm
I think you make an excellent point. I'm trying not to be a freaker-outer but there is a lot at stake! AR12 held Packer nation hostage this time last year and then failed to deliver in the playoffs. Sorry but I am ready to move on from the drama.
It's hard not to get excited about the potential trade value Rodgers has. For instance, what if we trade Rodgers and Adams to Philly for Jalen Hurts and DeVonta Smith plus draft picks? What if we trade them to Miami for Tua and Waddle plus draft picks? What if we trade them to Washington for Chase Young and Terry McLaurin plus draft picks?
I believe the Pack would be right back in the playoff hunt with any of these potential trades.
13TimeChamps
February 25, 2022 at 07:08 pm
I love it when fans try to play GM. Why on earth would Washington trade one of the best YOUNG, AFFORDABLE defensive players, a very good YOUNG, AFFORDABLE receiver, PLUS draft picks for an aging QB with a massive contract and a receiver nearing 30 who has stated he wants to be the highest paid receiver in the league?
Besides, Adams is a free agent. The only way to trade him would be for GB to tag him first, which would require GB to be UNDER THE CAP. They are currently almost 40 million OVER the cap..
Those are the kind of trades that get real GMs fired. Keep your day job, my friend.
beerandbrats
February 25, 2022 at 08:37 pm
Ha! I agree! Those teams would have to be nuts to cough up two young studs for two old dudes! But an opportunity exists here. I would be excited to get Chase Young and Washington's 11 pick to get the top IDL in the draft. I would also be happy to do the deal with Philly to pickup Jalen Hurts plus draft picks. Hurts is confident and Hurts has playoff experience. He would provide great insurance should Love not pan out. Lots of exciting possibilities with a trade!