Packers left tackle David Bakhtiari said he’s not fed up with Aaron Rodgers trade rumors, per se, but he certainly didn’t seem excited to talk about it during an appearance on the “Bussin’ with the Boys” podcast.
“He’s a Jet now, so it’s the Jets’ problem,” Bakhtiari said on the show.
In one sentence, Bakhtiari summed up how the Packers feel about the future Hall of Fame quarterback, and seemingly broke some news. But when asked if a trade had been agreed upon, but not leaked yet, Bakhtiari backtracked a bit.
“No, but I mean, he’s gonna be.”
If you’re catching up to this year’s edition of Aaron Rodgers Trade Drama, the Packers have made it clear they want to move forward with Jordan Love as their starting quarterback this year. Rodgers has also declared he “intends” to play for the Jets. With all the cards on the table, it appears like the Packers and Jets coming together for a deal looks like the best option for all parties. But Bakhtiari floated a lose-lose-lose scenario if trade talks fall apart.
“Just hear it out,” Bakhtiari said. “The Packers are rebuilding, whether you think so or not. Could they be good? I don’t know. Could they be bad? Probably, if you’re betting. More people think they’re going to be bad than good. Right? That fair to say? So then they’re gonna be like, ‘We’re going to suck anyways, we want what we want and we’re not going to bend anyone, so we’ll just eat it. You can stay unretired, we’ll pay you, we don’t care because if we’re going to do it our way, it’s going to be on our terms. If not, what are we gonna be Super Bowl contenders anyways? So we’ll eat it, you can hang on the side, we’ll pay you your money and then we’ll suck anyways, get the picks.’ As compared to dealing him for something that you shouldn’t have, you could potentially look like an idiot to not only the president and the board, but to everyone else around the league. I’m talking from the GM’s perspective. You put yourself on the hot seat.”
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Bakhtiari’s off-the-wall suggestion seems like a surefire way for Packers GM Brian Gutekunst to put himself on the hotseat, regardless of whatever return he may receive by trading away one of the best QBs in NFL history. It’s a case of cutting off a slice of cheddar to spite the wheel of cheese. The Packers shouldn’t pout and force Rodgers to sit on the sidelines, just because they may not get maximum value in a deal. If they’re serious about retooling their franchise around a new QB, the best way to do that is to recoup as many picks as they can for Rodgers, no matter if the haul includes a first-round pick or not.
Speaking realistically, Bakhtiari understands that and said he doesn’t believe a scenario where Rodgers stays in Green Bay to ride the pine comes to fruition.
“I don’t think it’ll get that contentious,” Bakhtiari said. “I do think they’ll probably come to an agreement, he’ll get traded, they’ll get what they want. Then time will probably say who won what.”
Bakhtiari can’t see a world in which the Packers open their arms and welcome Rodgers back to lead the offense again, either.
“I think that has officially, probably, been put to rest. I think they gave the keys to Jordan.”