Brian Gutekunst took first step in convincing Aaron Rodgers to come back

The Green Bay Packers do want Aaron Rodgers back, if he’s up for another season under center. The media circus has just begun. 

If Aaron Rodgers has played his final game with the Packers, it’ll go down as a rather debilitating loss to the Detroit Lions. Something about that doesn’t sound right.

As much as Rodgers played up a potential retirement after the game — refusing to swap jerseys with Jameson Williams of the Lions, and stating he needed some time to step away before coming to a decision on his future — Green Bay general manager Brian Gutekunst made it very clear he wants No. 12 back under center.

When asked if he’d be honest with Rodgers were the Packers ready to move on, Gutekunst answered bluntly.

“If we were? Sure, absolutely,” Gutekunst said, per ESPN. “You’ve got to be honest with him, you know what I mean? I think he deserves that if we get to that point. We’re not at that point.”

Will Aaron Rodgers return to the Packers?

Perhaps the greater question for Green Bay isn’t whether Rodgers comes back, but if he’ll want to pursue ventures elsewhere. Those other opportunities could include television, media or another NFL team if he wants to continue his playing career.

Rodgers looked burnt out after a tough season with the Packers, in which he missed the postseason. A young receiving corps didn’t pan out until too late in the season, but surely was gelling with the wily veteran QB by Week 18. Odds are, that momentum would continue into next season.

No. 12 is under contract for next season, which could play a major role in his decision. Were he to retire, he’d be forfeiting nearly $60 million guaranteed, or at least some of it.

“We made a really big commitment to him last offseason, so I think as we did that it wasn’t certainly for just this year,” Gutekunst said. “He’s going to take his time, and the communication will be pretty constant as we move forward.”

It took Rodgers until March 8 to announce his decision last year. Hopefully, it’ll be a quicker turnaround in 2023, one way or the other.