A unified front all of a sudden.
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said on Monday that he, Brian Gutekunst, and the leadership tandem of Mark Murphy & Russ Ball are all in lockstep in wanting Aaron Rodgers back in Green Bay.
It’s interesting considering that the Packers’ triangle of power was anything but unified at this time last year.
So, what changed?
Jordan Love played.
That’s what changed.
Seeing Love multiple times in real NFL action proved to everyone with eyes that he’s not ready to take over.
That’s not to say he won’t be ready at some point in the future, but not now.
The problem is that you expect your first-round picks to contribute and to play immediately.
We’re now entering Year 3 of Love’s NFL career.
If he ain’t ready yet, it is fair to start questioning if he ever will be.
It’s a double-edged sword for Gutey.
By saying that he wants Aaron back, it’s tacit admission that he made the wrong decision to trade up for Love.
Bringing Aaron back would also keep the Packers in salary cap hell, hamstringing their ability to field a competitive team around him.
All of this for a quarterback who hasn’t been good enough to get the Packers to the Super Bowl in over a decade anyway.
So, how does Gutey resolve all of this?
He doesn’t have to. Aaron will do it for him.
It’s really simple at this point.
If Aaron wants to be back, the Packers will find a way to make it happen.
If he wants to leave, Gutey will have to trade him and roll with Love.
