Packers GM’s take on the Aaron Rodgers trade is heartbreaking

Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst pulled the trigger on an Aaron Rodgers trade to the Jets, but was it the right call?

Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst needed to trade Aaron Rodgers, if only because No. 12 made it clear he wanted out. After a bizarre offseason retreat which left Green Bay in the dark about their quarterback’s future, the Packers moved on to Plan B.

The NFL Draft is around the corner, and now the Pack luckily enough received an extra first-round pick and more.

Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the full details of the trade were agreed upon. Essentially, the Jets receive Rodgers, move back two slots in this year’s draft and receive a 2023 fifth in exchange for the No. 13 selection, a 2023 second-round pick, a 2023 sixth-round pick, and a potential 2024 first rounder.

The holdup in said trade was the second first-round pick, which the Packers requested. Given Green Bay didn’t have much leverage to begin with, this is a win for Gutekunst, but it’s tough to feel that way in the moment.

Packers GM Brian Gutekunst hates how Aaron Rodgers trade happened

Towards the end of the Rodgers offseason saga, it did appear there was some bad blood between the veteran quarterback and the only organization he’s known for decades.

Gutekunst admitted that he wishes he was able to speak with Rodgers to perhaps clear the air. Instead, the two were barely in contract for months after the end of the regular season, when the Packers lost their final game to the Detroit Lions.

“It would’ve been nice to have those conversations, but at the same time, over the last few years, I kind of understood that they may not happen,” Gutekunst said, per The Athletic. “It’s part of the job.”

The job is less complicated assuming Rodgers passes his physical this week. It’s the dawn of a new era in Green Bay.