Aaron Rodgers has been upset with several decisions the Green Bay Packers have made in recent years, and apparently one of the moves that really angered him was when the team released Jake Kumerow.
For those of you who are understandably unfamiliar with him, Kumerow is a journeyman wide receiver who first signed with the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent in 2015. He was with the Packers from 2017 until they released him before the start of last season. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, that roster move infuriated Rodgers.
From NFL Now: Summing up the #Packers situation with QB Aaron Rodgers, who also wanted more input in personnel decisions… and how the Jake Kumerow release (!!) played into it. pic.twitter.com/EOGG9aQg3R
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 3, 2021
“Rodgers, I’m told, also wanted to be more involved in some of the personnel decisions,” Rapoport said. “This is crazy, but it does seem like the one thing that drove Rodgers nuts was when the organization released Jake Kumerow just a day after (Rodgers) praised him publicly. That was described as a little bit of a death knell in the relationship.”
As Rapoport alluded to, Rodgers gushed about Kumerow during an interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio last September.
“Jake Kumerow has been such a solid performer for us for the last couple of years. I love his reliability,” Rodgers said at the time, via Ryan Miller of the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. “I think he’s a fantastic, steady player, who’s very heady on the field. He makes plays, he plays with a lot of coincidence, and he’s a guy who you love having on the squad.”
Kumerow had 20 catches for 322 yards and two touchdowns over two seasons with the Packers. Rodgers must have felt he was in for a big year in 2020, but those in charge of Green Bay’s roster did not share that enthusiasm.
It seems more than a little farfetched that releasing a player like Kumerow would push Rodgers over the edge, but it may have been a factor. The three-time MVP was also angry when the Packers traded up to draft a quarterback last year without telling him ahead of time. That is why Rodgers reportedly wants at least one thing to happen before he considers returning to Green Bay.
Rodgers is unhappy with the Packers for several reasons. We have a tough time believing the team’s decision to cut Kumerow is near the top of the list.
