Choosing between Aaron Rodgers and Jordan Love has been the conversation throughout the offseason. Most Packers fans are split between the two. Some fans don’t want to let Rodgers go because they think the Packers can still win a Super Bowl, while some fans are ready to move on with Love and try to build around him. No matter what Green Bay does, some fans are going to be upset.
I think it’s time to move on. It’s crazy to say that you want to move on from the four-time MVP and one of the best quarterbacks to play the game, but it really is time. Ever since the Packers drafted Jordan Love in 2020, Rodgers has been on the fence about coming back and playing. Green Bay fans have had to go through this the last few off-seasons, and at some point, you get tired of it.
Rodgers had a very rough season by his standards. He finished with 26 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while not even throwing for 4,000 yards. This doesn’t mean Rodgers is declining. He had a few new pieces to work with while losing the best wide receiver in the NFL, Davante Adams. Rodgers still showed flashes of what he has always been, but really struggled with his thumb injury. There were several times when he was missing a number of wide-open receivers.
Another problem with Rodgers this past season was him not showing up to OTAs. Green Bay drafted three rookie wide receivers, and two of them were going to have to play right away. Rodgers never shows up to OTAs, but Green Bay really needed him to this past season. It took a majority of the season for him to find chemistry with Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs. These are the two most talented receivers on the roster, but he couldn’t find a connection with them until it was too late. Who knows what this offense would’ve been if Rodgers had decided to show up to OTAs?
While Rodgers hasn’t been showing up to OTAs or playing in preseason games, Jordan Love has been taking all of those reps. Love has continued to improve each year, and it really showed this season when he came in for an injured Rodgers against the Philadelphia Eagles in week 12. Love came into the game late in the third quarter and looked great. He only played two drives as the Eagles were able to eat a lot of the clock. He finished the game 6/9, 113 yards, and one touchdown. He was facilitating the offense like he had done it a million times before. He looked comfortable and ready for the moment.
Packers GM Brian Gutekunst also agrees that Love is ready to take the next step. “I think he’s ready to play, and I think he’s ready to be an NFL starting quarterback. He’s worked really hard, he’s shown a lot of progression.” We haven’t seen a lot of Love, but he continues to get praise from the organization.
If Rodgers decides to come back, he is going to have to do some things for the team if they want to be competitive this season. Rodgers is supposed to make around 60 million dollars in 2023. That number needs to come way down to make this roster better. He also needs to show up to OTAs and show that he is committed to this team. If he does these things, then there should be no problem with him coming back. The only problem is, I don’t see these things happening.
It might be hard for some people to admit, but it is time to move on. Love is ready to play, and the Packers could get some good draft capital out of Rodgers. A couple of teams have said they are willing to give up a couple of picks for the 39-year-old quarterback. No matter what happens, Aaron Rodgers will go down as one of the best players to play in Green and Gold.
