What's wrong with Rodgers?

[LeviF]

Time to go on the record as to why the reigning, repeat MVP suddenly looks like a listless JUGS machine without the pop. I have some hot takes and I want to hear yours.

 

Much has been made of Green Bay's inability to draft offensive weapons in the first round. Doubs and Watson have a lot of promise but they're raw, coming from small schools without premier football programs. 

 

I don't necessarily think LaFleur is a bad coach, but if the endorsement for him is anything like the endorsement of Nate Hackett (he was Aaron's drinking buddy) you have to wonder if there's any firepower on this staff that can get Rodgers to care.

 

I know it's funny to joke about the ayahuasca experience but if you listen to anyone who isn't a drug-addled weirdo talk about it you quickly find out that it's not all (if any) good for everyone. Powerful hallucinogens have the ability to change people, for better or for worse.

 

Three years/$151M in guarantees/$101M guaranteed at signing. 'Nuff said.

 

Shailene seemed like a nice girl 😢 this new one reminds me of Gwyneth Paltrow in all the worst ways.

 

Related to the new contract, the Packers couldn't have been more clear in their messaging that Jordan Love is going to be a bust (can we call him a bust if he never starts?). He's bad and they should feel bad for drafting him when they did.

[scuba guy]

He is old 

[Bangarang]

His receivers aren’t good.

[4merper4mer]

He looks super old.  It’s like he has aged 25 years in the last 3 years.

[Real McClappy]

He's thinking about playing the Bills in 2 weeks and trying to be benched before that game happens. 

[HOUSE]

He had a shot at Jepordy but blew it.

Mispronounced subject matter 

 

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Edited October 17, 2022 by HOUSE

[Freddie's Dead]

TFO - Too old, and not on Marcia's cheatin' health regimen.

[Ethan in Cleveland]

He lost a top 2 WR and his current and last HC are trash. Waste of HOF talent. 

[damj]

It's my fault.

 

He's my fantasy QB

[Big Turk]

Lack of skill position players and they are now a run first team.

[Royale with Cheese]

Not enough DMT.

[Greg S]

No Adams has made a big difference. But something seems off with that team. At this point the Vikings will (should) take the North.

[Beast]

That haircut can’t be helping him. Looks like he went through a nuclear war.

[BeastMaster]

I think Rodgers might not believe in this teams vision when it comes to roster construction, and how to build a winner.

 

They have taken away from his weapons, and drafted his apparent replacement years before they should have.

 

I would've asked to be traded long ago if I was him

[klos63]

He's distracted too much by interests outside of football.  His head isn't 100% football and that's bad. Look at Brady this season, he's got too much going on outside of the team, and it might be affecting his play too.

Just now, BeastMaster said:

I think Rodgers might not believe in this teams vision when it comes to roster construction, and how to build a winner.

 

They have taken away from his weapons, and drafted his apparent replacement years before they should have.

 

I would've asked to be traded long ago if I was him

I'm surprised he signed the extension, except for the fact that it's $150 million. He's checked out already.

[hemma]

Not sure his heart is in it anymore.

[wjag]

His me first approach has rubbed his team mates wrong.  His contract sucks the life out of the free agent talent market.  And when he throws his deep balls he does not have the play makers to run under it and catch it.  He was so spolied with the talent around him he had and he singlehandedly ran them out of town.  

[Gisele]

Mushrooms are making him think he's winning

[aristocrat]

If you take away the best wr in football you turn into an average offense. Adam’s opened up so much for other wrs. 

[Captain Hindsight]

1 minute ago, wjag said:

His me first approach has rubbed his team mates wrong.  His contract sucks the life out of the free agent talent market.  And when he throws his deep balls he does not have the play makers to run under it and catch it.  He was so spolied with the talent around him he had and he singlehandedly ran them out of town.  

I do think its alot of this. He complained about weapons and for years he had a top 5 WR and a tope 10RB and he was pissed they cut Jake Kumerow? GTFOH

[Process]

Guy doesn't show up for OTAs than spends all preseason telling the media how his WRs suck and need to get better or they won't be playing. The guy is a tool and is washed. 

[Straight Hucklebuck]

The primary reason is, I believe he's mentally checking out. 

 

Also, the Packers are paying the price for continuing to draft defense every single year and not hitting with stars on those picks. 

 

It's been well publicized that the Packers do not draft skill position players in the 1st Round, and now they have no skill talent. Even with Adams, it was Adams and nobody else. 

 

 

[chris heff]

He’s done.

He retired and didn’t tell anybody.

Edited October 17, 2022 by chris heff

[Bruffalo]

6 minutes ago, Straight Hucklebuck said:

The primary reason is, I believe he's mentally checking out. 

 

Similar to Brady in that regard. 

 

Rodgers doesn't give a ***** about the Packers. It's my take that he might actively dislike the organization. 

 

Their best skill position player is an RB.  He's checked out and cashing out.  

[blizzardman]

Have a feeling he’s going to Miami. Maybe at the deadline. 

[Brandon]

He's getting old and his supporting cast isn't that great.  He also seems like a drama magnet and I'm not really sure he's into it anymore. 

[cwater10]

Blue Sunshine

[thenorthremembers]

Two reasons, he isnt happy, and when guys like Rodgers are unhappy they tend to not rise above their feelings.   Secondly, age is undefeated, he doesnt have the physical ability to overcome his unhappiness.

 

Also, how did he win the MVP last year?

[Dablitzkrieg]

55 minutes ago, scuba guy said:

He is old 

And hasn't appeared interested in a while.  He's so screwed in 2 weeks

Edited October 17, 2022 by Dablitzkrieg

[Repulsif]

Quote

what's wrong to Rodgers ?

 

[mushypeaches]

I can't freaking wait for us to destroy him in two weeks

[78thealltimegreat]

Quite frankly his receiving corps is trash and they pretty much spent most of their cap dollars on defense. 
They’ve had major draft misses at WR as they drop so many passes that they make the Benjamin, Foster, Jones, Holmes, Clay receiving corps look like Rice,Taylor, and Clark by comparison  

[clayboy54]

The guy has been so disrespected by the Packers. They never gave him the weapons he needed to consistently supplement his immense skillset. Frankly, the team jerked him around one too many times (Adams). Now, Aaron's just playing his time out, collecting rather huge checks, and planning his retirement on a hippie commune somewhere, if you ask me.

 

I truly believe his bad attitude is reflective only of what cards he's been dealt by the Packers organization. 

[Livinginthepast]

Rodgers is an exceptional HOF QB absolutely no doubt. I dont believe in karma but from all the various articles I have read about him, his treatment of his family and the recent covid fiasco, Rodgers seems to be a huge dbag. Perhaps his treatment of others has caught up with him and add it to the age factor of 38 and its an inevitable decline. I think a unicorn like Brady seems to have changed the paradigm from what quality we can expect in a late 30's player. What we are seeing with Rodgers is the normal drop off in skills and abilities that being in your late 30s sadly brings.

[WhitewalkerInPhilly]

I think it's a combination:

 

Even last year he was showing signs of regression and locking onto DeVante Adams as his crutch. With a downgrade at receiver he no longer has that security blanket. I know I would not trade receiver rooms right now.

 

But the play calling balance is just not there. If they run more maybe he can level out but there are no coaches reining him in. 

 

 

 

 

 

[LabattBlue]

Rodgers went from nut job Olivia Mund to clay eating Woodley to leaving the country to engage in ayahuasca.  
 

Enough said. This guy’s elevator clearly does not go all the way to the top. 

[SageAgainstTheMachine]

Brady has thrown off the calculus for everyone.  Nobody used to question why a 38 year old QB was getting worse.

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

He's washed

 

he's like bad neck Payton Manning at this point

 

[GunnerBill]

Can the answer be "Aaron is wrong with Aaron"? I don't wish to over simplify but some of this is him. Some of the reasons he only has one Superbowl are him. Some of the reasons it isn't working at the moment are him. There was an English soccer player in the 00s name Steven Gerrard. He played for Liverpool who remind me in some ways of Green Bay. They are the Premier League's standard bearers for tradition and history. For Lambeau Field see Anfield. Historical venues, fanatical support, places where the history of the game seems to seep from every brick of the building. Gerrard was a Liverpool hero and a supremely talented footballer. While Rodgers isn't a local boy in the same way he is supremely talented and is adored by the fanbase. But Liverpool as a team never won a Premier League title during Gerrard's career and part of it was that Steven Gerrard had to be the biggest show in town and he had to let people know about it too. He was, in many ways, a walking ego. Coaches got fired when Gerrard disagreed with them. Players fell out of favour when Gerrard lost trust in them. Even ownership was in hock to him. I feel that a lot of those same things apply to Aaron Rodgers and Green Bay. 

 

But Aaron has always been Aaron, basically since his Superbowl win (if not before) he has been a huge ego and the main man for the Packers so why is it only a problem now? I think this is where it is more nuanced and his personality combines with the other factors that come into play:

 

1. Talent - Green Bay is at the end of a cycle. They are getting close to a rebuild and as such there isn't quite the talent around him that once there was. That is more noticeable at wide receiver where they traded Adams (a move that didn't really make sense at the same time as extending Rodgers) and have gone with a youth movement with Doubs and Watson and tried to cobble that together with some low ceiling vets in Lazard and Cobb plus the enigmatic Sammy Watkins. When Watson dropped that sure touchdown pass week 1 Rodgers reaction was what I'd expect. He threw his arms up, he rolled his eyes, he gave off the body language of a man saying "what more can I do"? And I'm not sure that helps those young bucks to develop and be confident. 

 

2. Coaching - Matt LaFleur is one of the in vogue fashion of hiring from the Shanahan tree. He did a good job initially of taking the weight off Rodgers's shoulders when he arrived from the McCarthy offense which had been the sort of West Coast offense that Bill Walsh might have recognised and basically if Aaron Rodgers didn't make the entire play himself plays didn't happen. The Shanny scheme was a perfect fit for Devonte Adams in that it values precise route running which is his best attribute and while it forced Aaron to play in a more regimented manner the reality was the scheme generally got him guys open. Now with Adams gone and the oline banged up Aaron is getting frustrated, he is getting away from the structure of the offense and he is trying to play his way. The Shanahan version of the west coast offense off of the stretch zone run game allows very little room for freelancing. And Aaron is seeing the scheme fail to get guys open and wants to freelance. And if they throw another bubble screen to Romeo Doubs I think everyone in Green Bay will vomit in their mouth. LaFleur is struggling to find ways to get his new guys open from scheme, Aaron is getting away from the scheme, and the whole thing is breaking down and looking messy. 

 

3. Desire - the well worn phrase is once a guy starts talking about retirement he is basically retired. It is hard to play in the NFL if your are 100% full committed. It is darn near impossible if you are not. I think Aaron thought that when he came back he would be all in but he looks like he is realising this team is not a Superbowl contender in the way they have been the last few seasons when they have blown two major opportunities in home playoff games against the 49ers in last year's divisional round and the Buccs in the previous NFCCG. And approach his 39th birthday I am not sure how much Aaron really fancies trying to work with guys who might be good in 2 or 3 years time. He has never loved getting hit but watch the way Tom Brady (who also hates getting hit) bounces up and gives his oline an earful still at 45 when he is knocked down. Now watch Rodgers wearily drag himself off the turf. I don't know if his heart is still all the way in it. If I had to guess right now here today? I'd guess he retires after the season. 

[HunTim]

7 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

Can the answer be "Aaron is wrong with Aaron"? I don't wish to over simplify but some of this is him. Some of the reasons he only has one Superbowl are him. Some of the reasons it isn't working at the moment are him. There was an English soccer player in the 00s name Steven Gerrard. He played for Liverpool who remind me in some ways of Green Bay. They are the Premier League's standard bearers for tradition and history. For Lambeau Field see Anfield. Historical venues, fanatical support, places where the history of the game seems to seep from every brick of the building. Gerrard was a Liverpool hero and a supremely talented footballer. While Rodgers isn't a local boy in the same way he is supremely talented and is adored by the fanbase. But Liverpool as a team never won a Premier League title during Gerrard's career and part of it was that Steven Gerrard had to be the biggest show in town and he had to let people know about it too. He was, in many ways, a walking ego. Coaches got fired when Gerrard disagreed with them. Players fell out of favour when Gerrard lost trust in them. Even ownership was in hock to him. I feel that a lot of those same things apply to Aaron Rodgers and Green Bay. 

 

But Aaron has always been Aaron, basically since his Superbowl win (if not before) he has been a huge ego and the main man for the Packers so why is it only a problem now? I think this is where it is more nuanced and his personality combines with the other factors that come into play:

 

1. Talent - Green Bay is at the end of a cycle. They are getting close to a rebuild and as such there isn't quite the talent around him that once there was. That is more noticeable at wide receiver where they traded Adams (a move that didn't really make sense at the same time as extending Rodgers) and have gone with a youth movement with Doubs and Watson and tried to cobble that together with some low ceiling vets in Lazard and Cobb plus the enigmatic Sammy Watkins. When Watson dropped that sure touchdown pass week 1 Rodgers reaction was what I'd expect. He threw his arms up, he rolled his eyes, he gave off the body language of a man saying "what more can I do"? And I'm not sure that helps those young bucks to develop and be confident. 

 

2. Coaching - Matt LaFleur is one of the in vogue fashion of hiring from the Shanahan tree. He did a good job initially of taking the weight off Rodgers's shoulders when he arrived from the McCarthy offense which had been the sort of West Coast offense that Bill Walsh might have recognised and basically if Aaron Rodgers didn't make the entire play himself plays didn't happen. The Shanny scheme was a perfect fit for Devonte Adams in that it values precise route running which is his best attribute and while it forced Aaron to play in a more regimented manner the reality was the scheme generally got him guys open. Now with Adams gone and the oline banged up Aaron is getting frustrated, he is getting away from the structure of the offense and he is trying to play his way. The Shanahan version of the west coast offense off of the stretch zone run game allows very little room for freelancing. And Aaron is seeing the scheme fail to get guys open and wants to freelance. And if they throw another bubble screen to Romeo Doubs I think everyone in Green Bay will vomit in their mouth. LaFleur is struggling to find ways to get his new guys open from scheme, Aaron is getting away from the scheme, and the whole thing is breaking down and looking messy. 

 

3. Desire - the well worn phrase is once a guy starts talking about retirement he is basically retired. It is hard to play in the NFL if your are 100% full committed. It is darn near impossible if you are not. I think Aaron thought that when he came back he would be all in but he looks like he is realising this team is not a Superbowl contender in the way they have been the last few seasons when they have blown two major opportunities in home playoff games against the 49ers in last year's divisional round and the Buccs in the previous NFCCG. And approach his 39th birthday I am not sure how much Aaron really fancies trying to work with guys who might be good in 2 or 3 years time. He has never loved getting hit but watch the way Tom Brady (who also hates getting hit) bounces up and gives his oline an earful still at 45 when he is knocked down. Now watch Rodgers wearily drag himself off the turf. I don't know if his heart is still all the way in it. If I had to guess right now here today? I'd guess he retires after the season. 

 

Nice cogent analysis, thank you.

The only thing I would add is that his vast ego may not allow him to retire permanently.