Is the trouble in Titletown worse than reports out of Green Bay are letting on? Packers President Mark Murphy turned a few heads over the weekend when he addressed the Aaron Rodgers saga in his monthly column.
“The situation we face with Aaron Rodgers has divided our fan base,” Murphy wrote. “The emails and letters that I've received reflect this fact. As I wrote here last month, we remain committed to resolving things with Aaron and want him to be our quarterback in 2021 and beyond. We are working to resolve the situation and realize that the less both sides say publicly, the better.”
Here in Chicago it’s a little tough to keep a finger on the pulse in Green Bay, but it’s certainly surprising to hear that the fan base has divided loyalties between the future Hall of Fame quarterback who was blindsided by the team trading up to draft his replacement, and the GM who did it to him. But earlier in his column, Murphy defended the job that Brian Gutekunst has done, so maybe a portion of Packers fans feel similarly.
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“In his relatively short tenure as our GM, he has completely turned around the fortunes of our team,” Murphy wrote. “He has put together a talented team (last year we had the most players voted to the Pro Bowl) that has a 28-8 record over the last two years, after consecutive losing seasons in 2017 and 2018, and has played in back-to-back NFC Championship games. Moreover, he has a great working relationship with Head Coach Matt LaFleur. He and EVP/director of football operations Russ Ball have managed our salary cap smartly and have us well positioned for the future.”
What’s most surprising is that Murphy brought up the Rodgers drama without specifically being asked about him. Here’s the (non) question that prompted Murphy’s response:
“Dear Mark: You have done a great job. Don't let the bastards drag you down. Washington needs a name. I suggest the Generals.”
Interesting that Murphy brought Rodgers into the conversation from this fan submission. No one is named specifically, so why does Murphy immediately bring up Rodgers when all the fan mentioned were “the bastards?” Is Murphy subtly letting the world know what he thinks of his MVP QB?
NFL
The Packers’ mandatory minicamp begins on Tuesday, so no matter what Murphy thinks of Rodgers, we’ll have a new chapter in this drama soon.
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