Getty Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers walks through the tunnel before the game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on November 4, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
Could Aaron Rodgers follow the same path as Brett Favre and finish his NFL career with a team other than the Green Bay Packers? His predecessor seems to think so.
Favre joined The Rich Eisen Show on Wednesday afternoon to discuss his former team’s decision to trade up and select a “project” quarterback with their first-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft, suggesting the team had “burned a bridge” with Rodgers when they drafted for the future rather than securing him at least one new offensive weapon for the passing game.
But near the end of the interview, before Eisen could completely ask whether Favre believed Rodgers would finish his career somewhere other than Green Bay, the former Packers legend cut him off and made his thoughts perfectly clear on the matter.
“I think he’ll play somewhere else,” Favre said Wednesday. “Tom Brady and myself and Joe Montana and Peyton Manning, just to name a few that finished their career elsewhere. In my case, I played for four different teams. I think you’re going to see that trend more and more, and I think Aaron will finish somewhere else. That’s my gut (feeling).”
FULL CLIP of @BrettFavre saying he thinks @AaronRodgers12 will finish his career in another uniform:
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Favre Says ‘New Regime’ Reason for Love Pick
Favre recognizes the similarities between Rodgers’ new situation and the one he found himself in back in 2005 when the Packers drafted Rodgers to be groomed as his successor, especially where the changing of the guard is concerned.
“Our situation is so similar at this point in our careers,” Favre said. “New coach, new organization. The regime that drafted Aaron is gone, completely gone, and it’s a new regime. That’s the same thing that happened with me. My take is, we want to put our stamp on our guys and hope we can win with previous guys, meaning Aaron Rodgers and other guys.”
There are some parallels that can be drawn between the careers of the two Packers quarterbacks. Favre was 35-years-old was Ted Thompson was hired as general manager in 2005. Thompson went right to work building his team of the future, taking Rodgers with his first-ever draft pick and hiring Mike McCarthy as head coach after allowing the old regime one final season.
Wolf – Holmgren – Favre
Thompson – McCarthy – Rodgers
Gutekunst – LaFleur – Love
Only time will tell.
Things are a little different for the 36-year-old Rodgers, who is entering his third season under general manager Brian Gutekunst and just finished up a successful first year with Matt LaFleur after spending his entire starting career under McCarthy. But Gutekunst is an understudy of Thompson and, though it took him until his third draft class, he didn’t show hesitation when it came to making a move for a quarterback — even with four seasons left on Rodgers’ contract.
“From a relationship standpoint, it sends the wrong message,” Favre said.
Can Favre’s Words be Taken at Face Value?
Favre talks with Rodgers regularly, but his words shouldn’t be considered an echo of what Rodgers actually thinks. Rodgers has not yet responded publicly to the Packers’ decision to draft Utah State quarterback Jordan Love — though, the two quarterbacks have spoken — and, really, he isn’t required to say anything to anyone about how he feels.
Believing what Favre says can be a little difficult when he, multiple times during his talk with Eisen, insisted he had a good relationship with Rodgers during their time together in Green Bay. Based on things Rodgers, Favre and many others over the years have said, their relationship as fellow Packers quarterbacks could be described as rocky at best.
“We had a great relationship,” Favre told Eisen on Wednesday. “I would say it took a turn for the worst when I left.”
Who knows how Rodgers will respond to Favre’s candor about his current situation, especially if there is some truth in what Favre said based on their recent conversation. Rodgers has often been a private person and might not like one of his friends discussing his personal business, even if Favre meant only to offer his own opinions on the matter.
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Aaron Rodgers Will ‘Play Somewhere Else,’ Says Packers Legend