Was playoff loss to 49ers Aaron Rodgers' final game as a Packer?
Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers were defeated by the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Divisional Round of the 2021 NFL Playoffs. Rodgers is now 0-4 in his postseason career against the 49ers. The Packers have earned the top seed in the NFC Playoffs for the last three consecutive seasons but were unable to make it to the Super Bowl in any of them.
It has been a disappointing run for the Green Bay Packers in recent years. They continue to dominate during the regular season but haven't been able to get it done in the postseason. Aaron Rodgers may very well end up winning his fourth NFL MVP award this year, but he is still chasing his second Super Bowl, which would be more important for his legacy as well as the Packers organization.
Aaron Rodgers had the same look on his face walking off the field as Tom Brady did in his last game as a Patriot
It's time for Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers to part ways
Just like with Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, it appears to be in everyone's best interest entering the 2022 NFL offseason for Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers to officially split up. Rodgers is reportedly unhappy with the organization and even threatened to sit out the 2021 NFL season after being denied a trade request. He ultimately came back, but the Packers should explore trade options for Rodgers this year.
The Packers organization has already begun planning for its future beyond the Rodgers era. They selected quarterback Jordan Love in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft to be his eventual replacement. It has been two years since Love's arrival in Green Bay and now might be the right time to make him the starter.
Packers now head into the off-season projected to be $44.8 million over the salary cap, the NFL’s second most challenging off-season position behind only the New Orleans Saints. https://t.co/CSJUHfvKTd
Additionally, the Packers find themselves in a difficult salary cap situation in the 2022 NFL offseason. They will need to make some moves to resolve their cap debt and moving on from expensive veteran players is a way to do that. The Packers could potentially trade Aaron Rodgers and his 46 million dollar cap hit for next season. That would basically neutralize their salary cap problems.
In return for Rodgers, the Packers will likely receive a ton of draft picks, including multiple first-rounders. One imagines that several teams would be interested in Rodgers, meaning the Packers would be able to get a nice haul for him.
The additional draft picks are a valuable asset to a team on the verge of a rebuild. The Packers could use them to create a more youthful core of players to grow alongside their fledgling quarterback Jordan Love.
Trade Rodgers. Trade Bak. Trade the Smiths. Franchise tag Adams and try to trade him too. Hell, trade Aaron Jones. Load up on picks and surround Jordan Love with talent and hope for the best.
The Packers are eventually going to have to move on from Rodgers at some point. Especially given their current salary cap situation, Rodgers' displeasure with the organization, his trade value and their repeated failures in the postseason. Making the decision to trade him now appears to be as good a time as any. The Packers' loss to the 49ers may have marked the end of the Rodgers era in Green Bay.
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