Green Bay Immunized to Super Bowls

This week in the NFL has been marked by a merry-go-round of quarterback moves. It's the position that determines your success in professional football. Just look at what Joe Burrow was able to do with a Cincinnati Bengals team that was not on schedule to be in the Super Bowl. You can't win without a QB but, despite resigning the league MVP, the Packers doomed themselves to no Super Bowls for Aaron Rodgers' tenure.

Just hours after it was announced that Rodgers would be back in Green Bay, bigger news came from Seattle sending Russell Wilson to Denver. The Broncos gave up two 1st round picks, two 2nd round picks, a 5th round pick, Drew Lock, Noah Fant and Shelby Harris. Most importantly, that includes pick number 9 and 40 for the 2022 draft. Those are top picks to help reload a team and a legit TE weapon.

Yes, Rodgers is coming off of back-to-back MVPs and is also 38. Wilson, however, is 33 and has several more years of highly productive football ahead of him. The age difference is what makes it even more justified to criticize the Packers bowing down to a QB that isn't getting it done in the post season. The Packers' front office tied themselves to the end of Rodgers career and then will find themselves having to rebuild while not likely getting anything back for Rodgers.

If Green Bay wins a Super Bowl then it'll all be worth it, but do we really think Aaron Rodgers will find post season success now with his highest paid contract that means the team will have to lose some talent? Call me skeptical, and I'm a Chicago Bears fan, but I'm just not buying it. The Rodgers led Packers mustered up only ten points at home against the 49ers. Of course there's blame on the special teams, but shouldn't the back-to-back MVP be better than that?

Now, the wild card in all of this is Jordan Love. While very little is known about the former Utah State QB, I do believe if he had shown something then the Packers would not be in this position. The fact of the matter is eventually Green Bay is going to have to move on to their next QB, a position they've had probably the best success in NFL history. If it's not Love, well that number nine pick would allow you to draft another QB. Two 1st round picks and two 2nd round picks in the next two drafts for a team that historically drafts well is all the make up for a quick turnaround to moving on from Rodgers.

It may be a cold ending for a Packer great, but it's the coldness of the business. Instead, Green Bay has signed themselves up for round two of quarterback drama. It's Brett Favre 2.0, but in the age of social media where the drama is played out more publicly and passive aggressively. Favre's tenure featured seasons that ended on playoff shortcomings and now Green Bay has locked themselves into that again, while now likely also hearing from the QB himself about how it isn't his fault and there isn't a team around him while ignoring the role his contract plays into the cap issues.

Carson Wentz was also shipped out for some picks from the Colts to the Commanders with Jimmy G likely next in line. The Packers situation should draw some eyes to the Atlanta Falcons, and not because of the Calvin Ridley situation. Atlanta has not been anywhere close to the playoffs and has a veteran QB nearing the end of his career that won't be around when they're likely successful again. In this QB starved market doesn't it seem like the Falcons could really speed up that rebuild if the Steelers came calling?

That of course would mark another QB moving into a loaded AFC, and that is a point in the pro column for riding it out with Rodgers. I mean just based on the quarterbacks, it's hard not to say the Rams and Packers share the top power spot with...Dallas behind them? Tom Brady's retirement weakened the top of the NFC even more with the quarterbacks on the move to the AFC. However, the Packers didn't even get to the Rams or Bucs this season so would that really change their playoff shortcomings with talent likely heading out the door?

Fant and those picks Green Bay could have gotten from Denver would allow them to set up whoever the next QB is to quickly be successful, with Davante Adams franchised, Fant in Wisconsin and plenty of top picks to add more weapons while keeping the rest of the team in tact with some salary cap relief. Instead, we'll watch Green Bay placate Rodgers and hear more of his excuses why he isn't the problem when he falls short yet again. Instead it'll likely be the same thing each off season while having to face the end of the tenure in just a few years anyway.