John Kuhn with the most rational ‘insider’ take on the Rodgers situation.

KUUUUUUHHHHHHHHNNNNNNNNNNN.

You know what’s going to seem funny? This. All of this. In about two months, when Rodgers has his contract extension, and all of the rumors we’ve heard about for the last week are defused, and training camp is set to open with the Packers as the prohibitive favorites to make a Super Bowl run, this is all going to be a gas. I’ll laugh, you’ll laugh, we’ll all laugh as we get set for another season of Packer football.

Because I 100% believe this conversation above all of the other nonsense that’s been floating out there. This is a calm, rational take. The most likely motivation for all of this is that Rodgers wants an extension that’s going to guarantee that he’s the starting quarterback in Green Bay for years to come. Because if really wanted out, if he REALLY wanted to go to Denver, or Las Vegas, he would have leaked this ‘disgruntled’ news months ago. That way, the Packers would have had time to execute a trade heading into this year’s draft. By leaking this on draft day, he caused a maximum amount of chaos, without any real possibility that the Packers would be able to swing a deal for draft assets in 2021. No chance they’d be able to put together a deal for a HOF quarterback in less than three hours.

Based on Kuhn’s comments, I think this all boils down to guaranteed years. Reports are that the Packers offered some kind of extension/restructure, but we have no idea what they are offering in terms of guaranteed years. My guess is that Rodgers wants guaranteed money through 2023, or maybe even 2024. That puts him through his 40th birthday, and he’s been on record as saying he wants to play into his early 40’s. This would also force the Packers to make a decision on Jordan Love. Rookie contracts are 5 years. So next season will be year #2 for Love. If Rodgers gets what he wants, his guaranteed years would likely cover the span of that contract. Which would force the Packers to trade Love at some point. Or roll the dice and give Love an extension without knowing if he can perform in an actual NFL game. This scenario for Rodgers would have the triple benefit of more money, knowing this is his team, and a middle finger to Gutey for drafting Love.

My guess is the Packers are offering a contract that would make him the highest paid player in NFL history, but only guarantees money through 2022. That would give them two more years of Love under Rodgers, and allow them to have Love with two years left on his rookie deal if they chose to move on from Rodgers after 2022. I think the Packers are hoping that the extra money will balance out the fact that they’re not willing to guarantee money past 2022.

And so that’s the power struggle. Rodgers has huge leverage coming off of an MVP season, he wants to be the quarterback in Green Bay, but he doesn’t want his future dictated by the Packer front office. The front office wants Rodgers for this season, and probably next, but they want flexibility after that. So here we are.

At some point, I think they’ll reach an agreement that makes Rodgers the highest paid player in the history of the game, with guaranteed money through 2023. Like we went over on Monday, the Packers best chance to win a Super Bowl for the foreseeable future is with Aaron Rodgers. And Rodgers best chance to win rings(s) is with the Packers. I don’t believe any of the rumors out there that claim that Rodgers has been telling free agents to stay away from Green Bay because, ‘he won’t be there.’ I don’t believe that Rodgers calls Gutey, ‘Jerry Krause,’ in group texts, even though that is pretty funny. I don’t believe Brett Favre* saying that he thinks Rodgers will retire before he comes back to Green Bay. This comes down to contract details and I think they’ll get is worked out. And that’s what I’m going to tell myself in the mirror everyday until it happens.

*You just KNEW Favre was going to say something eventually. That was the mortal lock of the century. That guy accepts interview requests the way I accept breadsticks at Olive Garden.

PS: People are freaking out about this on Twitter as well:

They were going to do this anyway, regardless of the Rodgers situation. Tim Boyle went to Detroit, so you only have Love and Rodgers (probably) on the roster right now.

Double PS: ACTIVATE THE FLYNN SIGNAL: