Report: Aaron Rodgers willing to consider retirement instead of play for Packers

Aaron Rodgers’ relationship with the Green Bay Packers appears so fractured that the quarterback wants the general manager fired, and he’s threatening to retire if that does not happen.

A source close to Rodgers told Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports that the quarterback is “adamant” about not returning to the Packers as long as Brian Gutekunst remains GM. The source also indicated that Rodgers is willing to consider drastic options, from holding out of training camp to retirement, in order to avoid playing for Green Bay again.

Rodgers’ unhappiness with the Packers is rooted toward Gutekunst, particularly over last year’s first-round pick of Jordan Love and the lack of communication surrounding it. This is an issue that Gutekunst, the team’s GM since 2018, has acknowledged the Packers should have done better with. Rodgers believes Gutekunst’s plan was to move on from Rodgers after the 2020 season, but that the quarterback’s MVP campaign complicated things. The source believes that a Rodgers reconciliation with the Packers is unlikely as long as Gutekunst remains GM, and that team president Mark Murphy is aware of this.

This is in line with other reporting we’ve heard on the situation. The Packers are likely prepared to call Rodgers’ bluff here, as Gutekunst seems fairly well-entrenched. If he’s serious about his threats, though, this is likely to turn into an even bigger public showdown between the two sides.