Green Bay Packers fans all collectively rolled their eyes once the Julio Jones trade was announcedÂ
An offseason after getting to an NFC Championship Game should be one filled with moves to ensure that not only does that team return but that it takes the next step towards getting to the Super Bowl.
For the Green Bay Packers, back-to-back offseasons after losing in the NFC Championship Game have been spent making big waves in the locker room despite doing very little roster movement.
Aaron Rodgers throwing his hands up and finally requesting a trade was the culmination of an entire decade of unfulfilled potential and promises. Who exactly is to blame will take years to sort out, mostly because everyone has a different version of various stories, but Rodgers is using the public narrative to fuel his side of things.
He was gifted another one of those grievances on Sunday when All-Pro wide receiver Julio Jones was traded to the Tennessee Titans for at least a second-round pick. With the lower than expected price tag, Packers fans didn’t take news of the deal well given the optics of how it appeared Green Bay could have made a play.
Packers fans react to Julio Jones trade
Lol the Packers couldn’t give up a 2nd rounder for Julio ? Those bums
— Huh ?! (@DaPres_) June 6, 2021
Aaron seeing Julio get snatched up for a 2nd and a 5th #packers #julio pic.twitter.com/jfP6iC1lUu
— Tommy Bez (@TommyBez17) June 6, 2021
Julio should’ve been a Packer if he truly wanted to win but aight
— KJ (@KdotJohnson_) June 6, 2021
https://twitter.com/danilonavarro85/status/1401568274232528896?s=21
A trade to the Packers was always going to be incredibly unlikely. Beyond Green Bay’s weird bullishness on spending capital to add big time resources for Aaron Rodgers, the Packers cap situation was a major roadblock in any trade this offseason, not just one involving Julio.
Some fans tabled their general anger with the team to recognize this either as fact or as a coping mechanism — or both.
C'mon. Given GB's salary cap situation, Packers fans can't seriously think that they were going to trade for Julio.
— Ayahuasca Rehab Program (@packrfan4) June 6, 2021
Some people were just having fun with the whole Rodgers drama narrative and how this trade played into a much larger crapstorm.
It’s embarrassing that the Packers didn’t at least try to get Julio Jones as another weapon for Jordan Love smh
— Drew Beringer (@drewberinger) June 6, 2021
Yet this is going to be another of the many what-if moves that we will ponder. The Packers trading for Julio Jones would have likely ended the Cuban Missile Crisis-like standoff the team finds itself in with Rodgers, as adding a top-tier receiver and spending to do it would have put the ball entirely in the franchise quarterback’s court.
How could Rodgers legitimately still gripe about the team if it went out and made one of the splashiest moves of the offseason?
It was never going to happen, but given what the Titans gave up for Julio Jones it’s going to be yet another thing Rodgers writes in his little book of grievances.