Chicago Bears: New Aaron Rodgers news is exciting for Bears fans
By Ryan Taylor
The Chicago Bears‘ greatest rival in the last one and a half decades is easily Aaron Rodgers. However, Chicago’s archnemesis is more likely to move out of the NFC North after declining an extension from the Packers that would have made him the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL.
According to ESPN, Rodgers declined a two-year extension from the Packers that would have kept him in Green Bay for another five years.
The issue for Rodgers isn’t money. He wants bigger changes for the Packer organization, more specifically, he wants general manager Brian Gutekunst to pack his bags.
After drafting quarterback Jordan Love in 2020, this year’s overemphasized first-round draft pick Eric Stokes, and the fact that the Packers haven’t drafted a wide receiver in the first round since 2000 — it’s probably time for Gutekunst to head out.
This off-season, the Packers offered Aaron Rodgers a two-year contract extension that would have tied him to Green Bay for five more seasons and made him the highest-paid QB and player in football.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 20, 2021
Rodgers declined the offer, proof it’s not about the money.
A good comparison for their situation is James Harden this past season. Harden was similarly offered an extension by the Houston Rockets that would have made him NBA’s highest-paid player, but declined it and forced his way to the Brooklyn Nets. I realize this is NBA, but we’re talking about two of the most powerful athletes in pro sports.
The bottom line is the Packers either have to trade Rodgers or he will not suit up in the green and gold uniform this season.
What should Chicago Bears fans think of this news?
Bears fans should be ecstatic because Rodgers’s situation with the Packers was pretty gray since there was plenty of time for Green Bay and their MVP quarterback to make amends. Now, after showing the Packers that all the money in the world won’t change his mind, it’s almost certain he is on his way out.
“It’s not about the money. It’s about making a statement,” famously said the Joker played by Heath Ledger in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight. Well said.
The Bears are trying to regain the top of the division as they did back in 2018 when they notched a 12-4 record in the regular season with a star-studded defense leading the way.
Internally, Ryan Pace did some heavy lifting this offseason by adding depth to the offensive line, running back room, and wide receiver core. Most importantly, he brought in a possible franchise quarterback, Andy Dalton… Just kidding! We’re talking about Justin Fields.
What’s more, this season would be a lot easier on the Bears if they didn’t have to take on the reigning MVP quarterback twice this season. Instead, a battle between Blake Bortles and Jordan Love should suffice as two tallies in the win column for the Bears.
The Bears haven’t beat the Packers twice in one season since 2007. Yikes.
According to StatMuse, Aaron Rodgers has a passer rating of 107.2 with 6,013 yards, 55 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions in 25 games versus the Bears in his career. That would equate to 240.5 yards, 2.2 touchdowns, and 0.4 interceptions per game against the Bears on any given game.
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Keeping Rodgers off the schedule for the foreseeable future is great news for the Bears; especially since the Bears have the third hardest schedule in the NFL this upcoming season featuring teams from the NFC West and the AFC North, two of the toughest conferences in the NFL.