Judging by the rumors, there's a distinct possibility that reigning league MVP Aaron Rodgers has already thrown his last pass for the Green Bay Packers.
But one of the veteran quarterback's former teammates remains optimistic that grievances can be redressed and internal issues can be resolved.
"I really don't think [the relationship] is beyond repair," former Packers fullback John Kuhn told The Zach Gelb Show on Wednesday. "I know speculation is running wild right now with all the possibilities of what could've been, what possibly can still be. But until I hear that the Green Bay Packers are listening to what the value is of Aaron Rodgers on the trade market, I don't see him going anywhere.
"Now, that might not be entirely in their hands, as Aaron Rodgers' camp -- or at least it's been leaked that his camp -- has said that Aaron's played his last down in Green Bay. He has a little bit of leverage here in this situation, and I think that's going to put the Green Bay Packers in a tough spot. Ultimately, at the end of day, I truly believe Aaron wants to come back to Green Bay. But he doesn't want to do it on a lame-duck contract.
"Even though there's three years on his contract, if you really look at the terms of it, it pretty much sets up for a clean break at the end of the 2021 season for the Packers and himself, considering that [former first-round quarterback] Jordan Love is on a rookie salary. So, I think that he wants more insurance that he's going to be a long-term starting quarterback option for the Green Bay Packers. And that, I believe, is something that would intrigue him to make amends with the team and come back for this season."
Last Friday, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that Rodgers is seriously considering retirement as an option unless the complicated situation with Green Bay is "repaired to his liking." Although this phrasing is considered ambiguous, Rapoport's news came roughly 24 hours after ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the "disgruntled" Rodgers no longer wants to play for the Packers.
The consensus around the league is that Rodgers' beef is mainly directed toward Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst. According to Bob McGinn of The Athletic, Rodgers has reportedly mocked Gutekunst in group chats with teammates, and compared him to former Chicago Bulls general manager Jerry Krause, who was detested by NBA star Michael Jordan in spite of the team's dominance during the 1990s.
Perhaps Rodgers' return to Green Bay would partially be contingent upon the organization firing Gutekunst. But Kuhn doesn't suspect that Rodgers actually wants Gutekunst to lose his job.
"I really don't think Aaron is that cynical of a person. I really don't," Kuhn said. "No matter what differences they have, I go back to the [head coach] Mike McCarthy era. There were differences in philosophies there, and that came to a point where, the differences in philosophy started playing itself out on the field. That's why Mike ended up being the one who got canned and is down in Dallas now. That wasn't necessarily Aaron doing anything to Mike McCarthy, because there were differences in philosophies played out long before that point in time ever occurred.
"He's proven to me, he's proven to the Packers' brass, he's proven to everybody else that, just because he has differences with the head coach or the general manager or anyone else, it doesn't necessarily affect his play and his professionalism. So, I can't see [wanting Gutekunst fired] being a direct quote from Aaron Rodgers."
The Packers have remained adamantly opposed to the notion of trading Rodgers in the coming months. But, if a divorce is inevitable, it'd behoove the franchise to hold on potential trade negotiations until early June, when the cap hit becomes far less severe.
"I've heard many athletes over the course of my career say, 'This is it, I'm done after this year, I'm retiring, I can't take it anymore.' And then cooler heads prevail. Time heals all wounds," Kuhn said. "And that's another luxury the Green Bay Packers have here. They have a month before it would financially make any sense to trade Aaron Rodgers. Obviously, he knows they can't do it before June 1, so they have plenty of time here to try to come up with a good plan that they feel doesn't hamstring them bad enough, but also something that makes Aaron Rodgers comfortable..."
According to Spotrac.com, Rodgers has three years remaining on his contract with the Packers, and his cap hit of $37.2 million this upcoming season is expected to lead the NFL.
The entire Rodgers-Packers conversation between Kuhn and Gelb can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow The Zach Gelb Show on Twitter @ZachGelb and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.