Getty Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers warms up before the NFC Divisional Playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams at Lambeau Field on January 16, 2021 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Aaron Rodgers could incur more than $90,000 in fines if he chooses not to report to Green Bay for offseason minicamp over the next three days, but the Packers are apparently considering a more forgiving approach should he skip.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Rodgers is not expected to attend the Packers’ mandatory three-day minicamp that begins Tuesday after refusing to participate in the team’s voluntary offseason program over the past several weeks, a move that would solidify his holdout from the team and potentially draw him daily fines for missing required workouts.
Schefter, however, indicated the Packers have “discussed” the possibility of excusing Rodgers’ absences and waiving his resulting fines as they continue working toward a potential resolution with their reigning NFL MVP quarterback.
With the Packers mandatory minicamp scheduled to start Tuesday, Aaron Rodgers would be eligible to be fined $93,085 for not attending, though Green Bay could issue him an excused absence, which also would excuse him from the fines. It is an option the team has discussed.
The Packers could fine Rodgers $93,085 for skipping all three days of the mandate team activities with escalating penalties each day ($15,515 on June 8; $31,030 on June 9; $46,540 on June 10). Then again, the money might not matter much to Rodgers after he already walked away from his $500,000 workout bonus for failing to participate in 85% of the team’s offseason activities.
The latest Packers news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Packers newsletter here!
Rodgers Has Never Missed Minicamp Before
While it might seem negligible in the grand scheme of things, there are legitimate reasons to be concerned by Rodgers’ refusal to participate in the Packers’ offseason activities. The 37-year-old quarterback has never missed out on a mandatory minicamp in his 16 seasons with the team — not counting, of course, last year’s entirely virtual offseason. According to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, Rodgers has also rarely skipped offseason work with his teammates in that time, “if at all.”
Still, Rodgers holding out of OTAs and minicamp is only the nearest checkpoint in his standoff with the Packers’ front office. The more important date in their relationship will come in late July when players start reporting to Green Bay for 2021 training camp. If Rodgers holds out during training camp, he will be fined a mandatory $50,000 per day missed, while the Packers can opt to start coming after his signing and roster bonuses after the sixth day.
I’ve seen a lot of wrong information on training camp fines for Aaron Rodgers.
🔹Per Day: $50,000 mandatory fine
🔹Day 6: $2,065,000 signing & roster bonus
🔹Day 7-16: $137,667 signing & roster bonus
He is NOT subject to a $816,667 game check fine for missing pre-season games.
Packers Expecting Few Other Absences
On a positive note, the Packers don’t seem to have to worry about any other high-profile holdouts in the week ahead. They have been without their top five wide receivers over the past few weeks of voluntary on-field workouts, but NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported all of them — Davante Adams, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Allen Lazard, Devin Funchess and Equanimeous St Brown — are expected to be in attendance on Tuesday.
Otherwise, the Packers’ only other notable non-participant is All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari; though, he will likely be in attendance for rehabilitation work as he was throughout the voluntary portion of OTAs. Bakhtiari has spent the first half of 2021 working back to full strength after undergoing ACL surgery in early January and is hoping to be healthy in time for the Packers’ season opener on Sept. 12 against the New Orleans Saints.