What's new
Fantasy Football - Footballguys Forums

Welcome to Our Forums. Once you've registered and logged in, you're primed to talk football, among other topics, with the sharpest and most experienced fantasy players on the internet.

Disgruntled QBs and the owners "line in the sand" (1 Viewer)

Gatorman

Supreme Elite Maximum Tier
This offseason, we have seen 3 top QBs get mad at their organizations and request a trade: Watson, Wilson, and now Rodgers.  The GMs of their teams and their Owners have collectively said "Nope" when it comes to honoring their requests (so far).  So, where do we think it goes from here?

1) A QB on a rookie deal seems to be the new NFL default, but locking up young and good talent seems to be a blessing and a curse these days.  Will the Owners go to a shorter contract or different language to keep this from being a trend?

2) will the QBs go to a more "Lebron-like" contract scenario where they will accept shorter term deals to be able to exert more control on their franchises?  QBs are not Lebron, but some of them (Watson) hitting th emarket every few years would be an interesting development.

WHat say you all?

 
This offseason, we have seen 3 top QBs get mad at their organizations and request a trade: Watson, Wilson, and now Rodgers.  The GMs of their teams and their Owners have collectively said "Nope" when it comes to honoring their requests (so far).  So, where do we think it goes from here?

1) A QB on a rookie deal seems to be the new NFL default, but locking up young and good talent seems to be a blessing and a curse these days.  Will the Owners go to a shorter contract or different language to keep this from being a trend?

2) will the QBs go to a more "Lebron-like" contract scenario where they will accept shorter term deals to be able to exert more control on their franchises?  QBs are not Lebron, but some of them (Watson) hitting th emarket every few years would be an interesting development.

WHat say you all?
It's an interesting topic for sure.

The talk these days of course is the cheap young QB is the way to win. It almost seems crazy to suggest anything otherwise.

Except Green Bay and Tampa fared pretty well... (And yes Brady's is more cap friendly than many veterans). 

It certainly helps to have a cheap Josh Allen or Justin Herbert. But it's not the only way. 

 
Seems like there are different scenarios with different tier QBs as well. 

The elite veteran types like ARod, Wilson & Watson (pre-off-field drama) - these are the muscle cars. They need to be pampered and kept in a nice garage, wiped down with a diaper from time to time & surrounded with accessories to keep them happy or they’re prone to break-downs. 

The middling “safe” guys ranging from the family Astro minivan to the Porsche Cayenne - the JimmyG, Kirk Cousins types. They're not youthful, but they’re well paid & capable of putting up decent numbers, but mostly are used how the system they're in dictates. Upside is a bit limited but they’re generally reliable low (psychological) maintenance guys. I think the Pats just got a future minivan in Mac Jones, but maybe he has better upside than we know. Or maybe he’s a better fit for that system. 

Then you have the youts. Cheap & huge upside, always a little risky but they can get you there. These are the guys every team covets. The Mahomes/Allen types. Next-Gen players. 

I feel like the elite veterans are more prone to diva-like behavior. They know their worth to their team & they flex that from time to time, like Wilson, Watson & now Aaron Rodgers. I don’t always see it as a bad thing - all of these players want to win, know what they do for their teams and get frustrated when the team moves in a direction they don’t agree with. I get that. But in the case of ARod, his timing of the day before the draft was kind of ridiculous & made him look thirsty for attention.

Brady could have easily been that guy in TB, but he’s not. He also arguably had more of a case to be that guy the last couple of years in NE, but he wasn’t. Or at least he wasn’t publicly. He’s a Cadillac, and in his own category. 
 

 
Seems like there are different scenarios with different tier QBs as well. 

The elite veteran types like ARod, Wilson & Watson (pre-off-field drama) - these are the muscle cars. They need to be pampered and kept in a nice garage, wiped down with a diaper from time to time & surrounded with accessories to keep them happy or they’re prone to break-downs. 

The middling “safe” guys ranging from the family Astro minivan to the Porsche Cayenne - the JimmyG, Kirk Cousins types. They're not youthful, but they’re well paid & capable of putting up decent numbers, but mostly are used how the system they're in dictates. Upside is a bit limited but they’re generally reliable low (psychological) maintenance guys. I think the Pats just got a future minivan in Mac Jones, but maybe he has better upside than we know. Or maybe he’s a better fit for that system. 

Then you have the youts. Cheap & huge upside, always a little risky but they can get you there. These are the guys every team covets. The Mahomes/Allen types. Next-Gen players. 

I feel like the elite veterans are more prone to diva-like behavior. They know their worth to their team & they flex that from time to time, like Wilson, Watson & now Aaron Rodgers. I don’t always see it as a bad thing - all of these players want to win, know what they do for their teams and get frustrated when the team moves in a direction they don’t agree with. I get that. But in the case of ARod, his timing of the day before the draft was kind of ridiculous & made him look thirsty for attention.

Brady could have easily been that guy in TB, but he’s not. He also arguably had more of a case to be that guy the last couple of years in NE, but he wasn’t. Or at least he wasn’t publicly. He’s a Cadillac, and in his own category. 
 
Funny thing is legacy and the behavior.  Imagine Marino wanting out from Miami bc Shula never got him a running game or a Defense, or to chase a ring (Dan almost went to Minnesota after Wanny ****-canned him but decided to retire instead).

I think the new cautionary tale is get the player on the field early and see if he is worth it.  If not, draft another one and repeat.  Wentz and Goff are the poster children there, while Mahomes, Allen, Lamar, and even Dak are the other side of that.  San Diego with Herbert should already be positioning themselves for the extension while Miami should be seeing if there is progress in year 2...

(also, I think teams are going to have to become more "open" with their QBs about intentions and hiring.  As the bonuses get bigger and the contracts get longer they will almost have to.  What do you think happens when Andy Reid retires and Mahomes is kept out of the loop on the coaching hire?)

 
What do you think happens when Andy Reid retires and Mahomes is kept out of the loop on the coaching hire?)
It’s a good question. So far, Mahomes seems like he’s got a lunchbox mentality.  But to your point, he’s also got Reid calling plays & has been surrounded by talent/kept happy. 

So what happens when talent is depleted & a new coach is on the way in?  He seems like the kind of kid who will roll with the punches, but ya never know until ya get there. 

 
Gatorman said:
This offseason, we have seen 3 top QBs get mad at their organizations and request a trade: Watson, Wilson, and now Rodgers.  The GMs of their teams and their Owners have collectively said "Nope" when it comes to honoring their requests (so far).  So, where do we think it goes from here?

1) A QB on a rookie deal seems to be the new NFL default, but locking up young and good talent seems to be a blessing and a curse these days.  Will the Owners go to a shorter contract or different language to keep this from being a trend?

2) will the QBs go to a more "Lebron-like" contract scenario where they will accept shorter term deals to be able to exert more control on their franchises?  QBs are not Lebron, but some of them (Watson) hitting th emarket every few years would be an interesting development.

WHat say you all?
Well, you also had Stafford and Wentz request trades, which their orgs DID do. (Wentz the outlier because he wasn't good last year, but he was prior to that).

QB's certainly have the power to not sign long term deals....  Will they? Seems unlikely. I could see GM's being more cautious with how they structure deals to give teams flexibility though.

 
I love the idea of QBs, especially proven top tier Vets, doing shorter contracts and basically picking their teams that want to win now.  What Favre did with the Vikings,  Manning and the Broncos, Brady and the Bucs, is awesome.  I love it.  I want to see Rodgers do the same.   

 
Last edited by a moderator:
I don't understand the Packers at all.  
Nor I. Look how close the Pack came to being legit contenders last year *after* just straight hosing their draft by taking Love & pissing off their HOF QB. 

How good could they have been had they helped their OL & drafted a WR to play opposite Adams? 

I’ll have to go back to the draft to see who was there when they took Love, but man - they had a legitimate window to still win with Rodgers and they seem to have peed it away. 

Baffling. 

 
I think it's all about respect.

It's a very similar story to how New England's front office (Belichick) botched it with Brady.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Gatorman said:
San Diego with Herbert should already be positioning themselves for the extension
Wouldn't that defeat the purpose of having that good QB on a cheap deal??

Seems like they should be positioning themselves to "go for it" for the next 4 years, then probably suck for a rebuild year.  Otherwise, they wouldn't be taking advantage of the situation.

Maybe let Herbert go on IR with a sprained ankle for a year🤑

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Nor I. Look how close the Pack came to being legit contenders last year *after* just straight hosing their draft by taking Love & pissing off their HOF QB. 

How good could they have been had they helped their OL & drafted a WR to play opposite Adams? 

I’ll have to go back to the draft to see who was there when they took Love, but man - they had a legitimate window to still win with Rodgers and they seem to have peed it away. 

Baffling. 
I think Rodgers has a legit beef with GB.   I hope he finds a way out    

 
I think Rodgers has a legit beef with GB.   I hope he finds a way out    
I do as well.

that said, it was kind of a diva move to pull the shenanigans the day before the draft.

But he definitely has a legit beef. Front front office has seemingly done everything they can to alienate him, while failing to give him the weapons to succeed. 

 
I do as well.

that said, it was kind of a diva move to pull the shenanigans the day before the draft.

But he definitely has a legit beef. Front front office has seemingly done everything they can to alienate him, while failing to give him the weapons to succeed. 
By “failing to succeed” you mean not winning the super bowl I guess, because he’s the mvp of the league and went 26-6 the past two seasons.  GM, coach and President of the team have all flown out to meet with him this offseason, at the busiest time of the year for the FO, and that’s alienating him? They’ve offered an extension that would presumably run into his 40s but it’s not enough, I guess he wants more. The Packers GM has done a fantastic job the past 3 off seasons in FA, the draft and developing a great team. His only failing is underestimating the extent to which Rodgers needs to be coddled. I get that though, he’s a football guy, not a shrink. There’s no way a GM that comes from the Ron Wolf / Ted Thompson school is going to let a player dictate draft choices or personnel moves, especially not a head case like #12. To think a player could demand the GM be fired (which I honestly can’t believe is true) is a joke.  The team would never recover if they gave that notion a moment’s thought.  If Rodgers can’t handle a little competition from a rookie project QB and this draft day tantrum is his idea, I would say good riddance. No coach or GM should have to tolerate that level of diva on a professional football team. 
 

 
By “failing to succeed” you mean not winning the super bowl I guess, because he’s the mvp of the league and went 26-6 the past two seasons.  GM, coach and President of the team have all flown out to meet with him this offseason, at the busiest time of the year for the FO, and that’s alienating him? They’ve offered an extension that would presumably run into his 40s but it’s not enough, I guess he wants more. The Packers GM has done a fantastic job the past 3 off seasons in FA, the draft and developing a great team. His only failing is underestimating the extent to which Rodgers needs to be coddled. I get that though, he’s a football guy, not a shrink. There’s no way a GM that comes from the Ron Wolf / Ted Thompson school is going to let a player dictate draft choices or personnel moves, especially not a head case like #12. To think a player could demand the GM be fired (which I honestly can’t believe is true) is a joke.  The team would never recover if they gave that notion a moment’s thought.  If Rodgers can’t handle a little competition from a rookie project QB and this draft day tantrum is his idea, I would say good riddance. No coach or GM should have to tolerate that level of diva on a professional football team. 
 
So here’s the thing: you have Aaron Rodgers. 

You might want to tell him you’re drafting a QB as his eventual replacement. That’s what they did with him when Favre was there. 

but they didn’t do that. They let him find out when they made the pick. 

By alienating him from those critical franchise decisions, they pissed him off. 

That's what I mean by alienating him. and now he wants out as a result.  

ETA: now I’m not saying Rodgers is behaving perfectly & I’ve not been shy about calling out his diva behavior. But the Packers could have avoided all of this with a 5 min conversation with their future HOF QB. They blew it. Maybe it’s an ego thing. 

 
Last edited by a moderator:
So here’s the thing: you have Aaron Rodgers. 

You might want to tell him you’re drafting a QB as his eventual replacement. That’s what they did with him when Favre was there. 

but they didn’t do that. They let him find out when they made the pick. 

By alienating him from those critical franchise decisions, they pissed him off. 

That's what I mean by alienating him. and now he wants out as a result.  
 
Rodgers is 37. If he doesn't think that the team should look towards the future he's either an ego maniac or stupid. He's a qb, not a gm, they shouldn't need to run draft needs past him.

Now, Rodgers can say something like "hey, this kid from *insert school here* looks like he's the real deal at wr, if we have the chance to draft him, I think we should really look hard qt him". No problem there.

 
Rodgers is 37. If he doesn't think that the team should look towards the future he's either an ego maniac or stupid. He's a qb, not a gm, they shouldn't need to run draft needs past him.

Now, Rodgers can say something like "hey, this kid from *insert school here* looks like he's the real deal at wr, if we have the chance to draft him, I think we should really look hard qt him". No problem there.
It’s one thing to have a say in it.

it’s another to give him a courtesy head’s up and involve him with their plans. 

They all want to win the Super Bowl right?  Maybe involving your HOF QB in your draft plans would be smart. Regardless we know in hindsight that it would have at least avoided a ton of drama. 

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Last edited by a moderator:
So here’s the thing: you have Aaron Rodgers. 

You might want to tell him you’re drafting a QB as his eventual replacement. That’s what they did with him when Favre was there. 

but they didn’t do that. They let him find out when they made the pick. 

By alienating him from those critical franchise decisions, they pissed him off. 

That's what I mean by alienating him. and now he wants out as a result.  

ETA: now I’m not saying Rodgers is behaving perfectly & I’ve not been shy about calling out his diva behavior. But the Packers could have avoided all of this with a 5 min conversation with their future HOF QB. They blew it. Maybe it’s an ego thing. 
We don’t really know what happened in the draft room that day. There are rumors they traded up to take Brandon Aiyuk, who was taken the pick before. I doubt that’s true, but regardless, there’s no doubt it’s a hectic situation when you have 7 minutes and are working multiple angles. So you’re going to interrupt that process to call Aaron Rodgers, wherever he is, to tell him what you’re doing minutes before you make the pick? Are you asking for Rodgers’ blessing on this or just telling him it’s happening? It doesn’t make sense to me, but regardless, there’s no doubt they misread the situation.  For me, again, these are football people trying to run a team, not hand-holders who should be worried about eggshell egos.  Imagine someone telling Vince Lombardi he has to call his star player before he makes a team decision. That’s the reference point for Green Bay, however unreasonable that sounds, and it’s laughable just thinking about what his reaction would be. 

 
 He's a qb, not a gm, they shouldn't need to run draft needs past him.
Are you from the planet where everyone is a robot??

He was rightfully pissed they made a move for when he is DONE.

You dont do that to your team, and to a stud QB like Rodgers.

The entire team is probably pissed about that pick.

 
We don’t really know what happened in the draft room that day. There are rumors they traded up to take Brandon Aiyuk, who was taken the pick before. I doubt that’s true, but regardless, there’s no doubt it’s a hectic situation when you have 7 minutes and are working multiple angles. So you’re going to interrupt that process to call Aaron Rodgers, wherever he is, to tell him what you’re doing minutes before you make the pick? Are you asking for Rodgers’ blessing on this or just telling him it’s happening? It doesn’t make sense to me, but regardless, there’s no doubt they misread the situation.  For me, again, these are football people trying to run a team, not hand-holders who should be worried about eggshell egos.  Imagine someone telling Vince Lombardi he has to call his star player before he makes a team decision. That’s the reference point for Green Bay, however unreasonable that sounds, and it’s laughable just thinking about what his reaction would be. 
Silly.  Of course they wouldn't call Rodgers when they are on the clock on draft day.

However, they could rather easily tell him they may draft a QB that slips if they have him rated highly.  

 
Are you from the planet where everyone is a robot??

He was rightfully pissed they made a move for when he is DONE.

You dont do that to your team, and to a stud QB like Rodgers.

The entire team is probably pissed about that pick.
You are not right. Here. GB fans have every right to be snarly. 
 

Look, he has been a big baby. He needs to stop. Should they cheat on a big baby? 
 

If that works out fine. But GB fans deserve not have this guy hold their franchise hostage. Period. 
 

The guy has turned into a #### and needs humbled and go somewhere. 

 
You are not right. Here. GB fans have every right to be snarly. 
 

Look, he has been a big baby. He needs to stop. Should they cheat on a big baby? 
 

If that works out fine. But GB fans deserve not have this guy hold their franchise hostage. Period. 
 

The guy has turned into a #### and needs humbled and go somewhere. 
Holding them hostage?  He either plays or he doesnt.  If he doesnt, they already drafted their 1st round QB last year.

 
We don’t really know what happened in the draft room that day. There are rumors they traded up to take Brandon Aiyuk, who was taken the pick before. I doubt that’s true, but regardless, there’s no doubt it’s a hectic situation when you have 7 minutes and are working multiple angles. So you’re going to interrupt that process to call Aaron Rodgers, wherever he is, to tell him what you’re doing minutes before you make the pick? Are you asking for Rodgers’ blessing on this or just telling him it’s happening? It doesn’t make sense to me, but regardless, there’s no doubt they misread the situation.  For me, again, these are football people trying to run a team, not hand-holders who should be worried about eggshell egos.  Imagine someone telling Vince Lombardi he has to call his star player before he makes a team decision. That’s the reference point for Green Bay, however unreasonable that sounds, and it’s laughable just thinking about what his reaction would be. 
I can’t comment on your post of wild speculation and presumption. It’s simply impossible to know if any of that is accurate

what I know for an absolute fact is that Aaron Rodgers didn’t know Green Bay was drafting a quarterback, and he probably should have known. 

if you have a Hall of Fame quarterback and you’re trying to win the Super Bowl, you should definitely consult them to see what they think they need at their disposal to win a Super Bowl. You may not necessarily the players that Aaron Rodgers wants there as a result, but at least he would’ve had input.

and we know for an absolute fact that the end result is Aaron Rodgers is pissed off and wants to leave the team. So whatever happened in the draft from specifically doesn’t matter.

What matters is they soured the relationship with their Hall of Fame quarterback.

 
Silly.  Of course they wouldn't call Rodgers when they are on the clock on draft day.

However, they could rather easily tell him they may draft a QB that slips if they have him rated highly.  
Exactly. 

as I suggested before, there’s a huge difference between giving Aaron Rodgers a heads up, and letting Aaron Rodgers dictate the pick.

had they done the former, Aaron Rodgers wouldn’t be upset and demanding to leave the team.

 
Exactly. 

as I suggested before, there’s a huge difference between giving Aaron Rodgers a heads up, and letting Aaron Rodgers dictate the pick.

had they done the former, Aaron Rodgers wouldn’t be upset and demanding to leave the team.
I doubt it. This is a guy that can't let go of a grudge. Giving him a heads up wouldn't have made even a little bit of difference.

 
I doubt it. This is a guy that can't let go of a grudge. Giving him a heads up wouldn't have made even a little bit of difference.
We can agree to disagree there, but we do know the outcome of not telling him. 

Nothing to have a grudge about if he knew it was coming. 

 
Silly.  Of course they wouldn't call Rodgers when they are on the clock on draft day.

However, they could rather easily tell him they may draft a QB that slips if they have him rated highly.  
So they call him a week or two before the draft to let him know they might take a qb in the first round. Then they draft Jordan Love. You’re saying that would change everything and AR would be totally cool about that?  I’ve never met the guy, but that doesn’t really ring true to me.  

 

 
I doubt it. This is a guy that can't let go of a grudge. Giving him a heads up wouldn't have made even a little bit of difference.
By all accounts, he is still driven by a burning desire for vengeance against the 20+ teams that passed on him in the draft a lifetime ago.  
 

 
By all accounts, he is still driven by a burning desire for vengeance against the 20+ teams that passed on him in the draft a lifetime ago.  
 
That’s a media narrative that’s been profitable to write about for a long time, yes.

He apparently holds such a massive grudge that the 49ers, who passed on him for Alex Smith, were his #1 preference of destination when demanding a trade.

yep - sounds like he’s got a real death grip on that grudge there. Or not. 

 
Last edited by a moderator:
You are not right. Here. GB fans have every right to be snarly. 
 

Look, he has been a big baby. He needs to stop. Should they cheat on a big baby? 
 

If that works out fine. But GB fans deserve not have this guy hold their franchise hostage. Period. 
 

The guy has turned into a #### and needs humbled and go somewhere. 
This is starting to sound less like analysis & a lot more like you have some kinda personal grievance against Aaron Rodgers here. 

 
So they call him a week or two before the draft to let him know they might take a qb in the first round. Then they draft Jordan Love. You’re saying that would change everything and AR would be totally cool about that?  I’ve never met the guy, but that doesn’t really ring true to me.  

 
I didnt say he would be "totally cool" about it, but if you cant see the difference between that and what happened, so be it

 
Why spend 1st round pick on a player you hope never sees the field for four years?  Seems a waste for the Packers and Love.  The Pack could have used a stud on defense last year.  I am not sure why Pack fans are siding with management.  The talk they should of had with Rogers before taking Love was asking how long he still expects to play?  

 
Why spend 1st round pick on a player you hope never sees the field for four years?  Seems a waste for the Packers and Love.  The Pack could have used a stud on defense last year.  I am not sure why Pack fans are siding with management.  The talk they should of had with Rogers before taking Love was asking how long he still expects to play?  
this.

Rogers is definitely being a big baby and should be over this by now.....but I'd have been a little upset too. That Love pick was beyond simply a head-scratcher with Rogers still playing the way he was/IS. It might well have cost them a true shot last year. I get why they did it (likely thinking Aaron had only a year or two at best of top shelf production left and preferred to have his successor in place ala....Aaron himself!) I disagree with the move, and they definitely could have handled the whole thing better.

Plenty of blame on both sides here.

 
Why spend 1st round pick on a player you hope never sees the field for four years?  Seems a waste for the Packers and Love.  The Pack could have used a stud on defense last year.  I am not sure why Pack fans are siding with management.  The talk they should of had with Rogers before taking Love was asking how long he still expects to play?  
Unfortunately he has become more about himself than his team, 

 
Why spend 1st round pick on a player you hope never sees the field for four years?  Seems a waste for the Packers and Love.  The Pack could have used a stud on defense last year.  I am not sure why Pack fans are siding with management.  The talk they should of had with Rogers before taking Love was asking how long he still expects to play?  
A star QB is like a Lebron or Curry in the NBA. They are such expensive and valuable assets that it is just poor decision making not to work with them to craft a team/situation that will keep that player happy and take advantage of their skills. It doesn't mean you let them run the team but work with them, given them a voice in the room. 

 
I know fans may not like his. But if there was one team that I had to pick that drafts better than the rest it would be Green Bay. 

 

Users who are viewing this thread

Top