The GMs of the Packers and New York Jets will speak Tuesday at the Combine and maybe shed some light on the Aaron Rodgers and Derek Carr situations
What’s the latest on Aaron Rodgers?
That’s what currently has New York Jets fans anxiously refreshing Twitter and scouring The Pat McAfee Show.
It seems that shop talk and speculation have far outweighed hard facts in the yearly Rodgers saga, especially since No. 12 announced his intention to take a four-day isolation retreat.
After Rodgers exited the darkness on Wednesday (a day too soon), many thought some information about his future plans would quickly follow.
So far? Crickets.
Barring some Rodgers reemergence from his silence in the next 48 hours, the prime opportunity to receive any updates will be on Tuesday at the start of the NFL Combine in Indianapolis.
There, both Jets’ general manager Joe Douglas and his Green Bay counterpart, Brian Gutekunst, will address the media.
Due to tampering rules, Douglas is barred from discussing Rodgers by name or making any direct references to the situation. Owner Woody Johnson made that just as clear as his intention to pursue Rodgers on the NFL Honors red carpet.
However, Douglas can talk about Derek Carr, who is a free agent and is allowed to speak to and sign with teams at any time due to his release. What Douglas has to say about Carr may give some opportunity to read between the lines about what the Jets expect from Rodgers.
Meanwhile, Gutekunst will have the chance to quiet or fan the flames of the conflicting reports and rumors about the Packers’ desire to retain Rodgers.
While there had been much talk in the media that Green Bay is “disgusted” by Rodgers and will be glad to see the back of him, ESPN’s Jeff Darlington and NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero contradicted that, saying the Packers definitely want Rodgers back.
Besides the veracity of these reports, the most important factor here is what the man himself wants. If Rodgers wants out of Green Bay, he has his potential retirement as the ultimate leverage to force a trade. It’s effectively a no-trade clause.
It’s also possible that Rodgers will upstage Gutekunst and Douglas with an announcement on his weekly segment on The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday.
The Rodgers saga has turned into a spectacle that exceeds even Brett Favre’s yearly “will he or won’t he?” show. Stay tuned for the next episode.
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As frustrating as all this mini-drama has become, I agree with the Jets plan: keep all options open so the moment something breaks, the Jets can be ready to make their move.
The longer this goes on, the more it seems that trading for Rodgers is the worst possible scenario for the Jets.