Who Will Be The Green Bay Packers’ Starting QB In Week 1?

After the huge drama which developed hours before the NFL Draft, in which it was reported that Aaron Rodgers no longer wanted to be with the Green Bay Packers, the NFL community has been understandably obsessed with this offseason drama. Rodgers was not traded during the draft, as some thought he was going to be, but it does remain clear – and very real – that there is a very deep impasse between Rodgers and the Packers. There is a widely agreed-upon sense in the NFL that if Rodgers does play for the Packers in 2021, this will definitely be his last season with the team. The question becomes, “Will Green Bay even get one more season out of Aaron Rodgers?” It’s a very open question right now.

Will Aaron Rodgers Retire Before Week 1?

Yes +300

No -500

The drama surrounding Aaron Rodgers is intense not just because a trade to the Denver Broncos or Las Vegas Raiders is a real possibility, but also because Rodgers could simply take his ball and go home. Remember that Rodgers has guest-hosted Jeopardy, the immensely popular game show. Rodgers is beginning to explore what life after football will look like. He might enjoy a line of work in which his body is no longer on the line every time he shows up at his work office. Playing for another team might give him a chance to stick it to the Packers and make them regret their actions toward him, but retirement is the easiest and cleanest way for Rodgers to make a statement about Green Bay’s decision to draft quarterback Jordan Love last year, the move which was clearly a colossal mistake and a sign to Rodgers that the organization wasn’t fully committed to winning.

Also realize that we are in the middle of May. Rodgers – if he is going to play for another team in 2021 – frankly ought to have found a landing spot by now so that he can familiarize himself with his teammates and new coaching staff. The fact that no trade occurred during the draft is a sign that Rodgers probably won’t play for a non-Green Bay team this season. If you don’t think Rodgers will play for the Packers this year, retirement – not the Broncos or Raiders – is the most likely scenario in what is admittedly a very uncertain and volatile situation.

Will Packers GM Brian Gutekunst Still Be On The Job In Week 1?

Yes -3000

No +900

This is a much easier call than the other props on the board. Gutekunst would have been fired by now if this Rodgers story was viewed to be unacceptable by Packers leadership. This is a community-owned team with an established structure. Gutekunst is not viewed dimly or negatively by the highly-placed administrators who run the Packers. Gutekunst isn’t going anywhere. Keep in mind that Brett Favre had a stormy divorce from the Packers as well, and management did not get shaken up in that instance, either. Gutekunst’s job is completely safe at the moment.

Aaron Rodgers Takes Packers’ First Snap In Week 1

Yes +100

No -140

The odds do suggest Rodgers won’t take this first snap in Week 1, but it will probably be due to retirement from the NFL rather than a trade to an AFC team. Rodgers is embittered toward the Packers, but he has off-field interests he can pursue. Does he really want to go to Denver and start fresh, with a roster he doesn’t know? Simply walking away from the game and pursuing a future in broadcasting or entertainment is the more likely path for No. 12.