Brett Favre weighs in on Aaron Rodgers rift with Packers
At long last, the star of the original rift between a Hall of Fame quarterback and the Green Bay Packers has weighed in on the upcoming sequel.
Brett Favre believes Aaron Rodgers won’t play again for the Packers if the NFL’s MVP in 2020 truly holds a “grudge” against the organization.
“Knowing Aaron, and I think I know him fairly well, if he has a grudge, whether it be against the organization or a player or an arch rival, family, friends, he ain’t budging. I don’t see him coming back if this is not resolved, whatever the issue is. Even if it’s resolved but he feels like they have one up on him, he ain’t going to play. Knowing Aaron, he would sit,” Favre said, via WISN-TV in Milwaukee.
Favre doesn’t sound as if he’s speaking with any firsthand knowledge of the situation unfolding.
Now 13 years after Favre unretired and then forced his way out of Green Bay, Rodgers reportedly wants to chart a similar path and leave the organization. In 2008, the Packers eventually traded Favre after a contentious summer to the New York Jets, clearing the way for Rodgers to become the new starting quarterback. This time around, the Packers have insisted Rodgers won’t be traded.
Whereas Terry Bradshaw’s off-the-rails comments regarding Rodgers can be easily dismissed as the ramblings of an outsider, Favre’s words here can’t be thrown directly into the wastebasket quite as easily. Despite an icy relationship with Rodgers when the Packers’ 2005 first-round pick first arrived in Green Bay, Favre has developed a strong friendship with his successor. Through many conversations, Favre would have a strong understanding of what makes Rodgers tick as a man and a football player. And he’d certainly know a thing or two about grudges, although it’s worth noting here that Favre and Rodgers eventually buried the hatchet and became friends.
The question now is whether Rodgers and the Packers can repair their own relationship.
Favre said he doesn’t think Rodgers would return unless the issues are resolved, and even then, he thinks the bridge could be burned forever. In fact, he went as far as to insinuate that Rodgers would rather sit out than return to the Packers, a leverage tool he does have at his disposal as the season nears.
But once again, these are all opinions. Rodgers, for whatever reason, hasn’t addressed anything in a public setting. There is near-absolute confirmation from the Packers side on a conflict in the relationship, and it’s clear the team isn’t 100 percent sure he’ll return in 2021, but the mystery will only widen until Rodgers adds his side of the story.
Some opinions are more valuable than others. For instance, former Packers executive Andrew Brandt has the expertise and first-hand experience dealing with Favre’s situation in 2008. He provided his thoughts and opinions on the matter at SI.com.
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