Yes, I think it’s over. The Aaron Rodgers’-led Green Bay Super Bowl window has official closed shut, yet the upper management has not realized it yet.
I’ve believed in this Packers team winning the Super Bowl (or at least making it there) for the past three years, yet each time they fell short. With Aaron Rodgers tepidly returning to Green Bay, I really do think that the era of Rodgers and Green Bay’s Super Bowl chances ended with their loss to the 49ers last year.
Green Bay has been the best regular season team in the NFC for the past three years in a row. Matt LeFleur has revolutionized the Packers from the utter mess Mike McCarthy left the team back in 2017/18. The Packers were on the verge of imploding under McCarthy as the team struggled with injuries, mismanagement, poor coaching, and eventually struggling with even making the playoffs.
It seemed that Aaron Rodgers’ time as Green Bay’s franchise great was over, as McCarthy’s outdated schemes made the all-time great QB looked pedestrian. Luckily, the Green Bay upper management fired McCarthy and hired LeFleur, who has led the Packers to two NFC title games and three consecutive NFC North division titles.
Yet, that is where Lefleur’s franchise-changing abilities have ceased. The Packers have been unceremoniously dumped from the playoffs by the San Francisco 49ers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the three years of LeFleur’s reign.
“Okay, then last year’s defeat to the 49ers shouldn’t be such a shock then,” one might say. “The Packers still have Rodgers under center and a solid defense. And they still play at Lambeau Field. Nothing’s changed.”
That’s where they would be wrong. Everything has changed for Green Bay. With Aaron Rodger’s inability to not only score ONE touchdown against the 49ers, but also doing it at Lambeau Field and in classic Green Bay weather has changed my opinion on Rodgers. I don’t think he’ll win another Super Bowl in Green Bay. I believe that the Green Bay-Rodgers formula is broken beyond repair.
It’s quite clear that Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay upper management don’t get along and are begrudging partners. If one or the other had the means to get rid of the other person, I’d bet all the money in the world they would.
Why would the Green Bay upper management draft Jordan Love with their 1st Round pick back in 2020 if they weren’t looking to replace Rodgers? And why would Rodgers have allowed all those trade speculations to build these past two years if he did not want to scare the Packers into changing their offense-stingy ways?
The Green Bay Packers have NEVER drafted Rodgers a 1st Round talent wide receiver/tight end in the QBs’ 17-year career with the Packers. Yes, the Packers have not drafted one wide receiver/tight end in the 1st Round for over a decade and a half while they had Aaron Rodgers.
Meanwhile, the past three playoff exists (last year’s especially) has shown that Rodgers’ ability to close out crucial playoff games on his own has waned. He needs more offensive help to mount serious Super Bowl challenges, which the Packers have refused to give him.
And, it has never been more obvious than this offseason. The Packers released Marquez Valdes-Scanting, one of Rodgers’ most reliable wide receivers. They also traded away Devante Adams, Rodgers’ most talented and trusted wide receiver in over a decade. Now, the Packers have signed Sammy Watkins and drafted 2nd Round pick Christan Watson, though neither one of those players will replace half the contributions of Adams alone.
I really do believe that last year was Green Bay and Rodgers’ last chance to win a Super Bowl as a partnership. Aaron Rodgers may have been able to win one on his own with another team; but, with his 3-year extension with Green Bay finalized this offseason, that possibility is now over too.
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