GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN – DECEMBER 06: Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers celebrates following a touchdown completion to Robert Tonyan #85(not pictured) during the second quarter of their game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lambeau Field on December 06, 2020 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
Packers fans can relax about the future of Aaron Rodgers. The team is sending clear signals they intend to keep the Hall of Fame quarterback.
The odds of Aaron Rodgers playing anywhere other than Green Bay in 2021 continue to decline as the offseason rolls along. The Packers’ most recent salary cap maneuver makes it clear they aren’t planning to lose their talented signal-caller anytime soon.
The team recently opted to rework tight end Robert Tonyan’s contract to clear $1.9 million in cap space for the 2021 season. The move should make it easier for the Packers to make moves around the fringes of their roster in the coming weeks.
What does Robert Tonyan’s deal have to do with Aaron Rodgers?
Creating that small amount of cap space would not be a priority for the team if it was planning on offloading Rodgers and his massive deal. Trading their starting quarterback would save Green Bay upwards of $16 million in cap space. That would be more than enough to execute any sort of transaction the Packers might want to make to strengthen their team prior to Week 1.
In other words, fans in Green Bay can take comfort in the reality that their favorite team’s front office fully intends to keep Rodgers in the fold. Things can always change if the quarterback airs more complaints in a public fashion, but nothing that’s happened to date is causing the organization to seriously plan for life without Rodgers.
The big question remaining is whether or not the Packers can convince Rodgers to recommit his future to the team over the long haul. A lucrative contract extension could do a lot to quell any discord currently harbored by the former MVP. There are plenty of twists and turns left in the Rodgers saga, but Packers fans shouldn’t expect an offseason trade to become a part of the plot.