Tom Brady just wanted to feel appreciated at work. And Aaron Rodgers is reminding the Packers it’s “about the people.”
But make no mistake: Rodgers is going way further than Brady ever did.
Ever since Rodgers first indicated he was unhappy in Green Bay, telling reporters prior to the NFC Championship his future is a “beautiful mystery,” it’s been en vogue to compare his public hinting of grievances with Brady’s in 2018. After Super Bowl LII, Brady ruminated about his “lost conviction” in the ultimate episode of “Tom vs. Time,” and then famously pled the fifth to Jim Gray when asked whether he felt appreciated by Bill Belichick.
In the aforementioned episode of “Tom vs. Time,” Gisele Bundchen also said her husband “just wants to feel appreciated at work.” It was apparent Brady didn’t feel like Belichick valued him.
On “SportsCenter” Monday, Rodgers surfaced a similar complaint about the Packers. In his first interview since news broke about his seeming desire to leave Green Bay, Rodgers indicated he doesn’t feel respected.
“With my situation, look it's never been about the draft pick, picking Jordan,” he said. “I love Jordan; he's a great kid. [We've had] a lot of fun to work together. Love the coaching staff, love my teammates, love the fan base in Green Bay. An incredible 16 years. It's just kind of about a philosophy and maybe forgetting that it is about the people that make the thing go. It's about character, it's about culture, it's about doing things the right way.”
Up until Monday, Rodgers has allowed NFL Insiders, and Mike Tirico, to do his talking. Just hours before the NFL Draft, Adam Schefter and seemingly every other Insider of Consequence reported Rodgers doesn’t want to return to the Packers. NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport even added the nugget that Rodgers could retire and host “Jeopardy” full-time.
The following weekend, Tirico shared details about an off-camera conversation with Rodgers that he was obviously permitted to share on-camera. The longtime broadcaster said Rodgers was “disappointed” news came out about his “rift” with the Packers, but there’s a “chasm” between Rodgers and management.
While ESPN’s Seth Wickersham and others reported on the tension between Belichick and Brady, there was never anything as concrete as what Tirico reported — or at what Rodgers acknowledged on “SportsCenter.” The “plead the fifth” remark was the closest we got.
It was just vague enough for plausible deniability. Rodgers isn’t leaving himself with the same wiggle room. He seems intent on calling out general manager Brian Gutekunst, whom he apparently wants fired, according to multiple reports.
Brady never demanded any firings within the Patriots organization, at least to our knowledge. He missed voluntary OTAs, just like Rodgers, but was ready for the start of training camp. The Patriots won their seventh Super Bowl that season.
It will be hard for Rodgers to lead the Packers to gridiron glory if he’s on the set of “Jeopardy.”
