Aaron Rodgers’ decision to stay with the Packers or leave could depend on what Green Bay does with five of his most treasured teammates.
It feels like an inevitability that Aaron Rodgers won’t be the quarterback of the Green Bay Packers in 2023. However, the decision has yet to be made so any assumptions made at this point are just that.
Rodgers could still come back. It may just depend on what personnel moves the Packers make with certain teammates.
In an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, the quarterback essentially gave Green Bay a roadmap to staying and it involves Marcedes Lewis, Randall Cobb, Allen Lazard, Robert Tonyan and David Bakhtiari.
5 Packers players could influence Aaron Rodgers’ decision to return
“This game is about relationships,” Rodgers told McAfee. “It’s about the guys you rely on, even if they don’t show up huge in the stat book.
“A guy like Marcedes Lewis, he’s an important cog in the wheel of the locker room and the momentum of the team. That’s a guy I want to finish my career with, you know? If I’m playing, I want that guy next to me. I want the Randall Cobbs of the world, if he wants to keep playing, in my locker room. Guys you can win with. Allen Lazard, Bobby Tonyan, Dave Bakhtiari.
“There’s a lot of interesting names that we’ll see their desire to re-sign these certain guys who are glue guys in the locker room that will be interesting conversations to be had.”
Well, the Packers could bring all of those guys back.
Cobb seems likely to hang up his cleats and walk away from the game after 12 years, but if he chose to continue his career Green Bay will have to pay him $3 million no matter what. They may as well see if they can get another 400 yards out of him in 2023.
Lewis’ example is the argument for the 32-year-old receiver to run it back. The 38-year-old tight end just finished his 17th year in the league and he’s previously stated his interest in breaking the record for the most seasons for an NFL tight end at 18. He, too, will be paid by the Packers whether he plays or not.
The complications begin with Lazard. The Packers leading receiver in 2022 is headed for free agency and he should get plenty of interest from around the league. Green Bay may have to pay closer to $10 million to keep his services.
Tonyan will also have the chance to test the free-agent waters. He’s coming off a season with 53 catches for 470 yards and looking back to form after his 2021 knee injury. The Packers will have to come up with a competitive package, but it could be done.
It would certainly be much easier to keep Lazard and Tonyan if Bakhtiari agreed to restructure his contract, but that’s another conversation that has complications.
See, the biggest issue here is that the Packers’ decisions on all five of these players are so heavily weighed by Rodgers himself. If Green Bay was sure Rodgers was leaving, it would be easier to move on from the guys in his inner circle. Then again, if there were assurances he’d come back, it would be a whole lot easier to lock all those guys in for 2023.
If there isn’t clarity on that behind the scenes, this could all just be talk.