Aaron Rodger’s holdout came to an end ahead of Training camp and things seem steady in Green Bay. But with this chapter possibly coming to an end, Rodgers Knows it’s win-now for the Packers.
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The Packers quarterback has had one of the most turbulent offseasons for a superstar in recent memory. From potentially demanding a trade, to holding out of training camp and the 2021-22 season, to even retiring, Packers fans have been on an absolute roller coaster this year.
Jordan Love had an impressive minicamp earlier this year and was slated to be QB1 come Week 1. But Aaron Rodgers is still leagues above Love, and his return will bring along with it a ton of Super Bowl expectations for the Packers in 2021.
Aaron Rodgers is putting it all on the line in 2021
After falling short in back-to-back NFC Championship Games, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst went all-in this offseason, keeping together most of last year’s roster with the hope that Rodgers would return to give it one more shot.
“I think we all know what’s at stake,” Rodgers said. “I talked about that a little bit the other day about perspective and how important that perspective is to focus on this season and enjoy the most out of this season, because there are a lot of unknowns. Davante, Marquez, Allen (Lazard, who will be a restricted free agent), Bobby, Marcedes (Lewis), some guys up front, guys on defense.”
The Packers are currently slated to be dead last in the NFL in available cap space for 2022. They pushed $26.8 million of 2021 cap dollars into 2022 and are about $50 million over next year’s salary-cap ceiling of $208.2 million.
“They jumped through some hoops to get under the cap this year,” Rodgers said. “Obviously, the cap is expected to go back up next year but you never know. So we’re just going to enjoy this season. It’s Title Town. It’s championship or disappointment.”
Aaron Rodgers on 2021 being “Super Bowl or bust.”
“I think we all know what’s at stake… We’re just gonna enjoy this season. It’s Titletown, its championship or bust every year.”
— Eli Berkovits (@BookOfEli_NFL) August 26, 2021
If the Packers don’t win the Super Bowl this season, who knows when they’ll be good enough to bring another title back to Titletown. Rodgers downplayed that burden, though it’s fair to wonder how the team will react if they don’t make it.
“I’m not saying that some teams don’t struggle with that,” Rodgers said. “I don’t know. But it’s not something that’s on my mind or the leaders’ minds as far as the long-term, long-term focus. We try and keep things a little tighter focused – on improvement and mind-set on a daily basis. I’m trying to avoid cliches because I don’t believe in them but we obviously have goals. What’s gotten us to this point of a couple objectively successful years is that same focus on the mind-set, chemistry, professionalism. That’s not going to change. All I meant the other day was I think we’re just going to try to enjoy this one a little bit more.”
