Aaron Rodgers Says Packers ‘Might’ Want to Go Younger by Starting Jordan Love

The Green Bay Packers face a difficult decision this offseason. Will they run it back with Aaron Rodgers? Or is it time for the Jordan Love era to commence?

Aaron Rodgers signed a monster contract extension last offseason. Coming off back-to-back MVP awards gave Rodgers all the leverage at the negotiation table. Three years for $150.6 million ended up being the compensation, making Rodgers the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL at the time (based on AAV).

Thanks to a disastrous season littered with injuries down the offensive line, Rodgers and his team regressed. After three straight 13-win campaigns, the Packers failed to reach double-digits in the win column.

Rodgers threw more interceptions in 2022 (12) than in any single season since 2008. Green Bay traded away Davante Adams and replaced him with rookies, so the offense was disjointed for the first couple of months. Still, seeing Rodgers turn the ball over so much is concerning nonetheless.

Is it concerning enough to move on from the hall of fame quarterback? The 39-year-old signal-caller takes care of himself physically, but he is not getting any younger, and the Packers may feel that they’ve reached the ceiling with Rodgers behind center.

Aaron Rodgers Says Packers ‘Might’ Want to Go Younger by Starting Jordan Love

Jordan Love, the Packers’ 2020 first-round pick, has sat and learned from Rodgers for three years, making things tricky for general manager Brian Gutekunst. As a first-round selection, Love has a fifth-year option on his contract.

The Packers must exercise the option — worth ~$20 million — this offseason. Gutekunst stated during the season that Love had shown enough for the team to pick up his option.

"“We’re really pleased with his progression and what he’s been able to do,” Gutekunst told reporters on Monday. “I think it would be really good for him, the growth you need to go through, seeing things for the first time, making those mistakes you need to make, but I think from our end of it, we’ve seen what we need to see.”-Paul Bretl (Packerswire)"

Love will only count for $3.9 million against the cap in 2023, but his fifth-year option becomes fully guaranteed if exercised, making for a nearly $20 million hit in 2024. While it presents a risk, $20 million is still reasonable for a quarterback — relative to others in the league.

The Rodgers contract will leave Green Bay with a huge dead cap hit in the event of a trade or his retirement. A pre-June 1 trade would net a $40 million dead cap hit in 2023 for the Packers. A trade designated as post-June 1 would spread that dead cap across 2023 and 2024.

Completing a trade that pleases all three parties is a near-impossible task. Given all the uncertainty around the future, plus Rodgers’ lackluster play in 2022, it may not be as enticing of an option for other NFL front offices. The Packers dug this hole; now, they must find a way out without being buried.

Entering 2023 with both Rodgers and Love on the roster still feels like the way things are going, but the vibe around Rodgers immediately following the Week 18 loss to Detroit left many wondering. On Tuesday, the veteran signal-caller sang a bit of a different tune.

On the Pat McAfee Show, Rodgers claimed he still has the talent to play at an MVP level. He remains undecided on his future, but just by reading his body language, I do not believe we have watched the last of Rodgers in the NFL. But perhaps we have for the Packers, and that is why he wanted to hold on to that jersey rather than gifting it to Jameson Williams.

It will be a long month and a half of speculation. The Packers face an uphill climb to contend for a Super Bowl in 2023. Maybe it is time to pull the plug on this current build and try to form a winner around Jordan Love.

Although the personal animosity doesn’t compare, this feels eerily similar to the Brett Favre-Aaron Rodgers situation years ago. Especially with the retirement talks constantly swirling. This offseason could be a turning point for the franchise; we will see how they handle it.