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It sounds like Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst would’ve welcomed quarterback Aaron Rodgers returning to the team for the 2023 season under one condition.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In his latest “Football Morning in America” column, NBC Sports’ Peter King<\/a> wrote that he believes “Gutekunst wanted an all-in Rodgers in March 2023 and knew he wouldn\u2019t get it.”\u00a0<\/p>\n King referenced that, as Rob Demovsky<\/a> of ESPN pointed out, Rodgers claimed during his appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” this past Wednesday that he entered his much-publicized darkness retreat this winter “90 percent retired and 10 percent playing.” According to King, that comment helped proved Gutekunst was correct in his mindset.\u00a0<\/p>\n It was reported<\/a> in the middle of February that the Packers had “all but moved on from” Rodgers and wanted to start unproven 2020 first-round draft pick Jordan Love this coming season.\u00a0<\/p>\n However, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero later said<\/a> that the Packers wanted Rodgers to remain their QB1 for at least another campaign “if he wants to return to Green Bay and as long as he\u2019s fully bought in.”\u00a0<\/p>\n \ufeffThe story then took an interesting turn when Packers president and chief executive officer Mark Murphy indicated on March 10<\/a> that the organization was ready to move on from Rodgers unless “things don\u2019t work out the way that we would want them.”\u00a0<\/p>\n Rodgers told McAfee that he intends to play for the New York Jets later this year, and multiple insiders<\/a> have said they think the two clubs could agree to compensation and complete a trade before the end of the month and maybe even before this coming Friday. Financially speaking, the Packers theoretically<\/a> can hold out until after the upcoming NFL Draft if their asking price isn’t met by the Jets.\u00a0<\/p>\n Assuming King is correct regarding Gutekunst, one wonders if Rodgers could experience a change of heart this spring and convince both the executive and head coach Matt LaFleur<\/a> that he could embrace an “all-in” mentality as it pertains to finishing his career with what’s been his only NFL home since the 2005 draft.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n