The Green Bay Packers officially dealt disgruntled quarterback Aaron Rodgers on Monday. The Packers sent Rodgers to the New York Jets, repeating their process from the famed Brett Favre trade in 2008.
Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst had a lot to say in response to the trade, unsurprisingly. Gutekunst addressed reporters after the news that the trade was finally made on Monday afternoon.
“That’s part of the job right?” Gutekunst said, via ProFootballTalk. “Absolutely. That’s part of the job. Obviously, Aaron was entering a time in his career where he was going to be ending, and we had to be prepared for the future and get prepared to try and move forward.”
“There’s a risk in the National Football League. I mean, we were 8-9 last year, so we’re trying to get better,” Gutekunst said of the trade and whether or not it was risky.
You, indeed, have to do what you must at times. The Packers were at a crossroads with their franchise’s future and the future of their franchise quarterback. Aaron Rodgers accomplished plenty in Green Bay over the years, and his contributions are undoubtedly noted.
But the team had to make a move to carve its future out. For the first time since 1993, someone other than Rodgers or Favre will command the Packers under center. Now it’s the Jordan Love era in Green Bay.
About Chris Novak
Chris Novak has been talking and writing about sports ever since he can remember. Previously, Novak wrote for and managed sites in the SB Nation network for nearly a decade from 2013-2022