Some just want to keep him based on what we lost before this season (thinking he'll bounce back) or maybe it's based on what he has done in the past, either way, he's 39 about to enter the '23-24 season with probably the same (core) WR corps as the last season. Our QB is due $58+ million and we'll probably lose some key pieces to FA. If he retires, he's still due the $58+ million by the GBP. Why, keep him around again? Is it based on his past? Are you afraid of what it will be like when he's gone? Because I hate to break it to you, that's inevitable. Some of us want to look to the future now, some want to stay strapped to him for one or more seasons. Time is inevitable and this franchise will always be more than one player to me, and that's because this is a franchise. Again, for the GBP's, it's time.
As I have said on several occasions I believe it's the smart move for the Packers to trade Rodgers this offseason based on how his contract is structured.
I hate to break it for you, but there's a decent chance the team won't be able to find another HOF quarterback for a very long time though. Therefore I'm not looking forward to the day Rodgers isn't on the team anymore.
The truly great ones step up in crunch time. The stats are there. Rodgers is a great thrower of the football. Maybe even a great QB, until the big game is on the line. Then he comes up short or worse. The numbers tell the story
Yes, the numbers tell the story, but actually not one that you want us to believe. Among the 32 quarterbacks with the most attempts in the fourth quarter of a playoff game since 2000 (I chose that year as it was Brady's first in the league) Rodgers ranks fourth in passer rating at 103.3. The only ones ranked above him are Kurt Warner (an insane 126.8), Jake Delhomme (117.4) and Patrick Mahomes (110.9).
He ranks significantly above the GOAT Brady (83.0), Peyton (81.7) and Favre (54.3) over that period.
This is inaccurate. If Rodgers retires he is walking away from $60 million. The Packers owe him nothing. He would then become a cap hit of $40 million against the Packers cap. This $40 million can be paid over the course of two season. In 2023 and 2024 he would be a cap hit of $20 million. This is the same if he is traded. This is because the Packers did some moving of money around and already paid Rodgers this amount. If he stays and plays this season his cap hit is $31.6 million.
If I'm wrong about this please let me know. I would like to know the specifics.
You're a bit off about how the cap hits would work out if spread out over the next two seasons as the Packers would take a $15.8 million cap hit in 2023 and another $24.5 million in '24. That's only an option if those moves are made after June 1 though.
There's a lot of ways to free up money and keep Rodgers. First, cut or renegotiate Bakh's contract. That frees up a ton of money. Same with Jones. He's a huge hit. P. Smith could go or be renegotiated. Re-sign Gary and kick some money down the road. There's still a lot of moves that can be made.
While the Packers could save significant cap space by renegotiating the contracts of Bakhtiari and Preston the team releasing them would hardly result in a ton of it.
So if Rodgers retires:
They could spread the hit amongst two years in some capacity which has rumored different numbers (article at end of post expresses some).
The numbers are pretty straightforward if Rodgers files his retirement papers after June 1. The Packers would take a cap hit of $15,833,568 (the prorated portion of his various signing bonuses for the 2023 season) this year as well as one of $24,480,000 in '24 (the remaining prorated portion of the signing bonus he received last year).
The Packers supporting cast got it done against the Bucs. Lazard was wide open running into the end zone and Rodgers missed him. MVS was also had 1-2 steps on his defender and Rodgers underthrew him - that was the throw that Rodgers said he would like to have back.
First of all, every quarterback in the entire league misses some open receivers from time to time or has some bad throws during a game. While Rodgers didn't play a perfect game vs. the Bucs he had a pretty good game in the 2020 NFCCG but other factors hugely contributed to that loss. Therefore I completely disagree his supporting cast got it done in that game.
