Quarterback has informed members of the organisation he does not wish to return to the Packers with the team unwilling to trade the 37-year-old; player has already skipped voluntary workouts and risks fines of $93,000 if he bails on mandatory ones.
Tuesday 8 June 2021 06:36, UK
The Green Bay Packers are unsure whether Aaron Rodgers will attend their minicamp this week as speculation over the star quarterback’s future continues.
Rodgers has informed members of the organisation he does not wish to return to the Packers with the team unwilling to trade the 37-year-old.
The player has already skipped voluntary workouts and risks fines of $93,000 if he bails on mandatory ones with the minicamp due to start on Tuesday, June 8.
The Packers could mark the absence as excused and not levy a fine but this is unlikely as tension continues to grow between the player and the team's front office.
A rift between Rodgers and the Packers was not exactly a secret prior to detailed draft-day reports of a growing fracture in their relationship.
Rodgers reportedly has informed general manager Brian Gutekunst he will not play for the team again while on draft day, Gutekunst admitted there are parts of the situation with Rodgers that he would handle differently if given another opportunity.
Head coach Matt LaFleur remained non-committal when asked about the situation, saying: "It's important that we have all our guys and certainly we'd love him to be here and hopefully we'll see him Tuesday."
Just last week, the reigning NFL MVP told ESPN's SportsCenter his issue with the organisation was more about philosophy and less about the team drafting his presumed replacement, Jordan Love, a year ago.
"It's just kind of about a philosophy and maybe forgetting that it is about the people that make the thing go," Rodgers said. "It's about character, it's about culture, it's about doing things the right way."
Last year Rodgers threw for 4,299 yards and a career-best 48 touchdowns with just five interceptions in leading the Packers to the best record in the NFC (13-3) and an NFC Championship Game appearance.
Rodgers has played for the Packers for his entire NFL career, leading Green Bay to victory in Super Bowl XLV after the 2010 season and winning three MVP awards.
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