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Aaron Rodgers regained control of his immediate future in the 2020 season. The Green Bay Packers won 13 more games, Rodgers delivered his third MVP season and the team were a few unusual games away before going. at the Super Bowl.
While his contract remains a highly speculative matter, Rodgers’ future at Green Bay is once again primarily in his hands.
Of course, the Packers swapping to take Jordan Love in the first round last April forced everyone, including Rodgers, to recalibrate his career timeline. He has lost some control. He admitted it after the choice. Neither team trades in the first round to take a quarterback they never intend to play. Of course, the Packers always invest in quarterbacks. But the pick also reflected the direction in which the team saw the twilight of Rodgers’ career.
An MVP season as big as the one Rodgers just produced must certainly have forced another internal recalibration inside the walls of Lambeau Field.
That quote from Rodgers last May resonates: “I know I can control this year and my game, my approach and my attitude.”
Those variables are all under Rodgers’ control again in 2021. And with another great season playing the most important position in the game, it will make it nearly impossible for the Packers to move on, even with Love waiting backstage. .
At this point, the Packers haven’t done anything to Rodgers’ contract, speculating that – if left unaffected – the team would likely switch to Love after the 2021 season. But that’s a guess without taking into account all the variables, including the development of Love and also one of the most important variables: the performance of Rodgers next season.
No one should expect Rodgers to repeat the type of numbers he created last season, but there is absolutely no reason to expect a significant drop, given the returning players, the ability to add help in the draft and both the scheme and the caller. The Packers offense lost center Corey Linsley, but was mostly held together. The team has 10 draft picks. And Matt LaFleur still designs games and calls games. The offense, which ranked No.1 in the standings last year, is expected to be excellent again in 2021.
The New England Patriots drafted Jimmy Garoppolo but never looked to him as a starter because Tom Brady never made that possible. The situations are not synonymous, but Rodgers – who is still only 37 – wields much of the same power.
In many ways, the 2020 season has helped Rodgers begin to rewrite a final new chapter. He mastered LaFleur’s schema, rediscovered his pocket Jedi powers, played a quarterback style befitting an aging passer, and was not injured or shown signs of physical regression. He has shown, week after week, that he can distribute the ball on time, with amazing precision, and execute the friendly attack from LaFleur quarterback without the need for constant improvisation. And as a result, he’s led the NFL in percentage completion and passer rating, has only taken 20 sacks, and has never been on the injury report.
The 2019 season has been difficult in attack. Signs of previous regression have persisted, highlighting why the team invested in a quarterback insurance policy. But last season should have given the Packers great confidence that Rodgers can play at a high level for many years to come. Brady just won a Super Bowl at 43. Rodgers, who isn’t 38 until December, is just as smart at quarterback as Brady, but with better arm and more general athleticism. Her skills should age well, especially if her legs – a focal point of her rejuvenation in 2020 – remain strong and healthy. There is now strong evidence to suggest Rodgers could play well in his forties.
The Packers probably haven’t touched Rodgers’ contract because they want to keep all of their options open. In many ways, they’re in an ideal position in the job, with the league MVP under contract for three more seasons and a first-round pick developing behind him. No one really knows if Love can play, but the Packers probably have more quarterback talent than any other football team. Waiting – and letting all the variables play for at least another season – must be an attractive option for the Packers.
If Rodgers suffers an injury, returns to an old style of play, or shows signs of physical regression in 2021 and Love takes the right developmental steps, the Packers can change the franchise and make a change to the incoming quarterback. 2022.
But if Rodgers plays at a high level again next season, Love’s development probably won’t matter. No team will accept more than $ 17 million dead cap to move from a player to MVP caliber. As Mark Murphy said a few months ago, the Packers’ makers aren’t fools, and only a fool would send a future Hall of Fame quarterback after consecutive seasons of elite-level play. If the salary cap is a concern in 2022, and it almost certainly will be, an extension can be made the next offseason to reduce the number of Rodgers and provide some relief. The work on her chord doesn’t need to take place now.
Rodgers might worry about being a lame player, but they are mostly unfounded. He’s in control. It may not be financial control. But it’s a type of control that works in its favor. Rodgers’ game in 2021 will likely have more to say about his future with the Green Bay Packers than any other variable.
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