The Green Bay Packers are trying to make clear that they don't want Aaron Rodgers to go anywhere.
It's been a wild couple of days in the NFL, as reports emerged Thursday (just hours before the draft) that the legendary quarterback was furious with the team and wanted out.
So far, there hasn't been much beyond that. There are a few teams Rodgers is said to be eyeing, but anyone addressing the matter from the Packers' side is reiterating that they don't want to move him.
That includes team president CEO Mark Murphy, who addressed the matter head-on in a column for the team website.
"The first day of the NFL Draft is typically a very busy day for all NFL teams, with plenty of newsworthy events. For the Packers, though, Thursday was definitely a day filled with more intrigue than usual. The day started with the report that Aaron Rodgers is upset with the Packers and doesn't want to return to the team. When a report like that involves the reigning MVP, it is obviously a huge story, and it dominated the sports news for most of the day. This is an issue that we have been working on for several months. Brian Gutekunst, Matt LaFleur and I have flown out on a number of occasions to meet with Aaron. We are very much aware of Aaron's concerns and have been working with him (and his agent Dave Dunn) to resolve them. We remain committed to Aaron in 2021 and beyond. He is not only a tremendously talented player, but has developed into a true leader for us. The relationship that Aaron has forged with Matt and the other offensive coaches has propelled us to the brink of the Super Bowl in two straight years. We look forward to competing for another Super Bowl championship with Aaron as our leader."
If nothing else, the Packers can say that they were adamant they want to keep Rodgers in the event he goes elsewhere.
No matter what though, this story doesn't appear to be going anywhere anytime soon.
