Tom Brady will keep his edge against the Green Bay Packers by practicing instead of advising star quarterback Aaron Rodgers to leave.
Rodgers, the reigning MVP, became publicly disillusioned with his team’s front office this offseason, and trade rumors swirled in the wake of it. Brady, who is friends with Rodgers off the field, doesn’t want to advise Rodgers on what to do, he alluded to in an interview with USA Today’s Jori Epstein via FOX News’ Daniel Canova.
“I mean, I respect Aaron a lot,” the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback told Epstein via Canova. “Aaron’s going to make the choices he feels are best for him. Everyone has different dynamics in their work.”
Things looked much different for Brady in his final year with New England than it did for Rodgers’ saga with the Packers. Brady simply left in free agency for Tampa and announced it on Twitter in March 2020.
Brady told Epstein that it takes “hard work, a lot of discipline” and “the organization buys in” to win in the NFL.
Tom Brady navigated Patriots dynamics. Now, Bucs. I asked him about tension between Aaron Rodgers & Packers.
NFL success requires “hard work, a lot of discipline…(and) that the organization buys in,” Brady told @usatodaysports. “I respect Aaron a lot.”
He found that with the Bucs in 2020, which included two wins over Rodgers and the Packers — one being in the NFC Championship game.
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Rodgers-Packers Drama Unfolds, Bucs Impact
While Brady greeted his son and celebrated going to his 10th Super Bowl, Rodgers and Packers head coach Matt LaFleur faced questions on whether or not the team should have kicked a field goal when a touchdown would have tied the game.
Rodgers’ disillusionment then erupted publicly before the opening night of the NFL Draft when ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Rodgers “doesn’t want to return” to Green Bay. Both sides have voiced their concerns since, and Rodgers didn’t participate in the team’s minicamp. Packers general manager told The Athletic on May 31 that he won’t trade Rodgers though.
Canova reported that Packers CEO Mark Murphy referred to Rodgers as a “complicated fella” last week. Rodgers reacted to Murphy’s comments with an “I’m offended” T-shirt and sarcastic comments in a video interview for “The Match” celebrity golf match in July per Canova.
Amid the turmoil, analysts such as Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio don’t consider the Packers as the biggest NFC threat to the Bucs anymore. Florio believes it’s the Washington Football Team with its elite pass rush or “maybe” the Seattle Seahawks. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith believes it’s the Los Angeles Rams that has the best shot at the Bucs.
Bucs Avoid Packers Plight in Draft
When the Packers traded up and drafted quarterback Jordan Love in the first round of the 2020 draft, questions swirled on how Rodgers would react. The Packers didn’t tell Rodgers about the plan, which showed clear communication issues between Rodgers and the Packers per Florio.
Tampa didn’t let the same thing happen this spring when linked to taking a quarterback to possibly one day succeed Brady. Bucs general manager Jason Licht said there were conversations with Brady about taking a quarterback, which the 43-year-old star supported.
The Bucs even traded up in the second round to select Florida star Kyle Trask. The rookie said Brady has been supportive since his arrival.
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Bucs’ Tom Brady Breaks Silence on Aaron Rodgers-Packers Drama