Brett Favre's gut says Aaron Rodgers sits out

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There is drama in Green Bay as the Packers' showdown with Aaron Rodgers continues.

And it couldn't come at a better time for Chicago Bears fans, who believe their franchise has ended their quarterback curse by landing Ohio State's Justin Fields in the 2021 NFL Draft.

So to sum up the Rodgers-Packers situation, Rodgers wants to be traded or he's retiring, unless general manager Brian Gutekunst is gone.

The Packers don't seem willing to budge so far, so will Rodgers follow through and retire?

Rodgers is still salty about the Packers drafting quarterback Jordan Love, among other things. A bit of irony considering his career started with him in the Love role to a Super Bowl winning quarterback in Brett Favre.

And Favre isn't so sure Rodgers is going to budge in this game of chicken.

"I think I know Aaron fairly well, and honestly I just don't see him coming back and just saying, 'All right, let's just bury the hatchet, whatever caused the rift, and I'm just going to come back and play because I love the guys, I love the Green Bay fans' -- I assume he does -- but his rift isn't with the fans or the players. It's with the front office", Favre said on ESPN Wisconsin radio's Wilde & Tausch. "Will he just swallow his pride and come in? Maybe. But I don't see that happening.

"If there's not a trade, my gut tells me that he'd rather sit out than play. That's just my gut. There's no reason for me to say that other than that's what my gut's telling me, and I think you guys know Aaron fairly well enough to sort of feel the same way."

And Favre has texted with Rodgers.

There is the caveat that if Rodgers were to retire he'd have to pay back around $23 million to the Packers. But Rodgers has earned over $240.9 million in his career so far, not counting endorsements.

So he's not strapped for cash.

Plus, he has post-playing career options. He can host Jeopardy and earn millions. He also has to see Tony Romo retiring from the NFL and earning $17 million a year calling games in the CBS booth. Rodgers could make back that money easily by joining an NFL broadcast booth.

With Drew Brees joining NBC Sports and Football Night In America, ESPN could pursue Rodgers to boost their Monday Night Football lineup.

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