The standoff between quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers has extended into the team’s three-day minicamp.
The reigning league MVP is subject to a potential fine of $15,515 for missing the opening day of minicamp, although the Packers could choose to excuse Rodgers’s absence and not fine him. Those potential fines progress to $31,030 for Wednesday and $46,540 for Thursday, for a total of $93,085 if Rodgers misses the entire minicamp.
That increases the financial stakes just slightly as the stalemate between Rodgers and the Packers continues with no immediate end in sight. This is the first mandatory team function that Rodgers has skipped this offseason, but he already missed enough voluntary offseason workouts to forgo a $500,000 workout bonus in his contract.
LaFleur declined to say whether the Packers will excuse Rodgers’s absence from the minicamp, calling that issue “team business that we’re always going to keep confidential between us and the player.” He said he remains hopeful that the relationship between the team and Rodgers will be repaired.
“I’m naturally optimistic,” LaFleur said during a video news conference. “But again, we’ll take it day by day and just do whatever we can to help remedy the situation.”
If Rodgers is absent from training camp, he would be subject to mandatory fines of $50,000 per day, which the Packers could not waive even if they wished to do so. Team officials have said they don’t intend to trade Rodgers.
With Rodgers not on hand, the Packers are getting a practice-field look at how their offense functions with second-year quarterback Jordan Love in charge.
“He needs every rep he can get right now,” LaFleur said. “He’s a young quarterback that was not afforded a preseason last year. … I just think every rep that he takes is so valuable. And you can learn something from both the good and the bad.”
LaFleur said he addressed the issue with Packers players but declined to discuss the specifics of the message that he delivered to them.
“It’s out of our power,” Packers offensive tackle David Bakhtiari said. “It’s a situation that is between another player, which you have no control of, and the organization, which you have no control of. I learned that early on. I have a very close relationship with Aaron, but this is something that I’m not going to inject myself in the middle. This is between them. And whatever they come to, I mean, hey, the show must go on.”
Rodgers served as a guest host of “Jeopardy!” in the spring and was vacationing in Hawaii with his fiancee, actress Shailene Woodley, while the Packers were conducting voluntary offseason workouts. So his absence from minicamp Tuesday should have come as a surprise to no one.
“Honestly I’ve got no expectations, man,” Packers wide receiver Davante Adams said. “I’m just being supportive of my guy and let it all unfold how it does. Obviously I’m praying that he comes back. We all want him back. I think everybody in this building has that same mind-set. But I can only control what I can. I can’t control any of what’s going on with that situation. … When and if he’s back, obviously we’ll welcome him with open arms.”
The relationship between Rodgers and the Packers has been under scrutiny since the team used a first-round draft choice last year on Love, who remained on the bench throughout his rookie season as Rodgers secured his third MVP award. Rodgers said after the Packers lost the NFC championship game to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Lambeau Field in January that his future with the franchise was uncertain. Little seems to have changed since.
“With my situation, look, it’s never been about the draft pick, picking Jordan,” Rodgers said during an interview with ESPN last month. “I love Jordan. He’s a great kid. Lot of fun to work together. I love the coaching staff, love my teammates, love the fan base in Green Bay. Incredible 16 years. It’s just kind of about a philosophy, you know? And maybe forgetting that it is about the people that make the thing go.”