Aaron Rodgers pushed the Packers to trade for wide receiver Randall Cobb, a move that mimic LeBron James’ GM tactics with his NBA teams.
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The Packers star recently had one of the most heated and unfiltered press conferences you’ll ever see from an NFL star, and during it, he sounded off on the Packers for letting some valuable players leave.
One of those players included Randall Cobb. Cobb spent the last two years playing in Texas, with both the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans, something Rodgers wasn’t a fan of. After all, the two have a deep history together, and one of Rodgers’ demands for playing with Green Bay involved getting him back.
Randall Cobb, the Bear killer. https://t.co/25HG6zl08y
— GBP Daily (@GBPdaily) July 27, 2021
The move is very similar to how LeBron James has often put on his ‘LeGM’ outfit in the NBA to sign and trade for players who he wants on the team.
Aaron Rodgers Joins LeBron James In Player Empowerment Trend With Trade For Randall Cobb
The move Rodgers pulled off is something only few superstars in the NFL can even think of doing. Pushing management to trade for a player means that you have to have some respect within the organization.
In the NFL, Tom Brady is probably one of the few other players who can command that kind of power. He brought in Antonio Brown and Leonard Fournette to play for Tampa Bay last season, both who contributed immensely to the Buccaneers Super Bowl victory run.
Rodgers knows that the Packers will have to bend to his will if they want to keep him around. The NFL MVP was very set on not returning to Green Bay this year, and this move was something he needed to come back.
Green Bay managed to find a way to keep Rodgers around for at least next season, reworking his contract which allows him the flexibility to leave next year.
LeBron has done this in his career too. On the Cavs, he wanted Tristan Thompson and Kyle Korver and the Cavs either re-signed or brought in those players. On the Lakers, he managed to score Anthony Davis and now Russell Westbrook.
It looks like Rodgers is learning a thing or two from one of the greatest basketball players of all time, something that will definitely keep him and the Packers happy.
GM Brian Gutekunst didn’t soft-pedal it: He traded for Randall Cobb because of Aaron Rodgers.
“I think that’s a big part of it, I don’t think without Aaron we would be pursuing him,” Gutekunst said. “This was a very important thing for Aaron and that’s why we did it.” pic.twitter.com/RnxD1EEM6b
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) July 29, 2021