The Green Bay Packers took Jordan Love as the 26th pick at the NFL draft, indicating that Aaron Rodgers’ era might be coming to its end.
The controversial decision of the Packers’ management created a lot of hype around the league, and all sorts of stories and speculations exploded all over the internet. It is safe to say that Packs’ selection of the quarterback from Utah State was the biggest surprise of the entire draft.
What was even more sensational is the fact that Aaron Rodgers wasn’t notified about the team’s intentions. Green Bay’s general manager, Brian Gutekunst, confirmed that following the draft.
“I haven’t connected with Aaron yet, but he’s obviously been through this, and he’s a pro,” Gutekunst said, adding that he believes as well as the entire management, that this is a decision which will be beneficial in the years to come.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CDQglQLAjs
“I think it’s certainly, this is something that is a long-term decision. I think when you go through kind of the way things went tonight, you run the short term and the long term. The way the board fell, this was the best decision for the Packers.”
Packs who had the 30th pick, gave that and the fourth-rounder to the Dolphins who, in exchange, handed them the 26th choice. It seems that GB didn’t want to miss an opportunity to seize the potential steal of the draft.
Love has enormous talent, but what raises doubt among the scouts is the fact that he played at Utah State, a school that isn’t among top programs. However, others are suggesting that he would have been even better if he had high-caliber players around him.
Some of the analysts stated that Love has the potential to be the next Patrick Mahomes, but also, that he can get stuck in mediocrity if not handled carefully.
Overall, the 21-year old was considered third-best QB in this draft, mostly because of his decline in stats comparing to the season before the last one. In 2018 he had 32 TD passes and only six interceptions, while in 2019, he posted 20 touchdowns and 17 picks. Still, many are suggesting that he played without any help at all and that in the majority of the situation, he was forced to make risky decisions or make bad plays.
His athleticism is arguably the best among all the QBs in this draft, arm strength is unbelievable, and the only things which he has to sort out are decision-making and mental finesses.
2005:
– Brett Favre 35 years old
– Packers select Aaron Rodgers 24th overall2020:
– Aaron Rodgers 36 years old
– Packers select Jordan Love 26th overall pic.twitter.com/CvkGdIxGfU— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) April 24, 2020
On the other side, Rodgers’ reaction is still unknown. He might be seeing history repeating itself in this one. He too, came to Green Bay as a replacement for Bret Favre. Even the age distance is similar. One thing which might hurt the veteran QB is that nobody consulted him about this.
The two-time MVP has a contract until the end 2023 campaign. In 2018 he signed a four-year extension worth $134 million, but there is one catch. There is an option for getting rid of him after the 2021 season. So things can really heat up in Wisconsin over the next year or two.
Some pundits are comparing the current situation with the one Chiefs had once they drafted Mahomes, and left Alex Smith to lead the team until the youngster adjusted to the circumstances. Afterward, the No.1 draft pick from Rodgers’ draft class was traded to the Redskins, and his time in Kansas City terminated.
Will AR see the same fate as his classmate? Share your opinions in the comments below.
Nikola Velickovic is a sports journalist who loves to write and read on all sports. Nikola contributes both news updates and functions as a sports breaking news writer at WagerBop.
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Email: nikola@wagerbop.com
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