3 reasons the Packers shouldn’t want Aaron Rodgers back
By Mark Powell
As tempting as it may be to run it back with Aaron Rodgers in 2023, it’s time for he and the Green Bay Packers to move on.
Aaron Rodgers walked off the Lambeau Field grass last Sunday night for what should be the last time as a member of the Green Bay Packers.
While Brian Gutekunst and Co. would welcome No. 12 back for another season, the time is now for both sides to part ways, one way or another. That could happen a few ways. Either:
- Aaron Rodgers rides off into the sunset as a Packers legend
- The organization makes it clear to Rodgers they are moving on without him, or
- Rodgers wants to add another chapter to his NFL career elsewhere, like Brett Favre before him
There are benefits to all of those choices. Given the Packers have been through this before with Favre almost makes it easier this time around. It’s rare for any player to spend their entire career with one organization, and as much as Green Bay would love for that to be the case with Rodgers, it will not impact his legacy at the frozen tundra.
Why should Packers move on from Aaron Rodgers? Father time.
Moving on from a legend is not easy, but it’s best to do so before father time catches up, rather than after.
While No. 12 can still show flashes of his old self at times, there’s no doubt he’s not the same player he once was. In 2020 and 2021, Rodgers won back-to-back NFL MVP awards, seemingly one-upping himself late into his career. While he had a chance to retire on top, the Packers gave him a juicy new contract, so he came back in 2022 without Davante Adams.
With a young receiving corps, Rodgers struggled out the gate. He looked older, and borderline frustrated. Despite the presence of Randall Cobb and Allen Lazard, something was clearly missing.
Rodgers finished the season with his worst QBR since 2006, and he technically didn’t start any games that year. He also threw the most interceptions (12) since 2008, his first year starting in place of Favre.
The Aaron Rodgers we’re used to watching on a weekly basis is fading fast. Another year in Green Bay could prove to be a mistake for both sides.