Has Aaron Rodgers played his final game for the Packers? | You Pod to Win the Game
Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson and Frank Schwab discuss the Green Bay Packers loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday Night which knocked Green Bay out of the playoffs, and debate what the future may hold for both Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers.
Video Transcript
[CROWD CHEERING]
[CRACK OF THE BAT]
FRANK SCHWAB: What are your thoughts on Rodgers? A, do you think he comes back? B, what was happening at the end of the game? What's next? What is next for the Packers and Aaron Rodgers? Because the same old song and dance every single January is just-- it's getting old for the Green Bay fans.
CHARLES ROBINSON: Well-- and I'll tell you what Rodgers got into-- he got into his own way in this one because they-- if you paid any attention to the reporting in Detroit over the last week, that earlier loss to the Lions, where he said, you can't lose to that team, really pissed them off. And Dan Campbell definitely drilled on that.
Jamaal Williams definitely paid-- I mean, there were a lot of guys that are like, yo, forget playoffs. This is about respect. Like, are we just going to let someone just straight-up disrespect us like that? Most of the time, any star-- anybody says something like that, it becomes bigger headlines. But because it's the Lions that he was saying it about, people were just sort of like, yeah, totally get that, like, absolutely.
FRANK SCHWAB: [LAUGHS]
CHARLES ROBINSON: But the Lions took it very personally. And as you said--
FRANK SCHWAB: Which is a good sign, by the way.
CHARLES ROBINSON: --which is a good sign, great sign.
FRANK SCHWAB: They're like, we're not the old Lions. We're a new Lions team. This ain't the team you just come in and beat every week, yeah.
CHARLES ROBINSON: Saw Jamaal Williams say it in the post-game interview, you know. He was like, there's some dog here. Like, he was crying. He was talking about, you know-- I mean, just the emotion that we saw from "Hard Knocks" kind of came out again.
FRANK SCHWAB: Yeah.
CHARLES ROBINSON: But he was like, don't get the tears wrong. He's like, we're dogs here. And I'm paraphrasing there. But, yeah, so I think it was a big deal. So I think, you know, it's interesting because Rodgers deserves-- hey, he gave them some ammo. And you know what? This time it mattered. Maybe most of the time it doesn't, but this time it did.
He got cocky. He does that. Likes to get cocky and, you know-- and sometimes it comes back to bite him. It did this time. In terms of the viability of Aaron Rodgers and the Packers moving forward, I think, is going to be a function of what the front office is going to do with that roster. Because he has a lot of-- and I brought this up on a podcast a couple of weeks ago.
He has a lot of buddies, his friends, that are on that team that are no longer really viable pieces moving forward. They're all old guys. Most of them are old guys. Some of them are older guys that the paychecks are just not sustainable anymore.
And then the contributions, frankly, I don't think are really where the future is headed for the Green Bay Packers. And I told you, I have heard some weird stuff now going on a couple of weeks about Jordan Love. And I've heard this from a couple of different sources about the front office really likes Jordan Love, and the coaching staff has seen the kid turn a corner this year.
And I'm like, man, there's a lot of talk about this guy. Like, what the hell is going on? So I don't know. I mean, I'm not-- I'm curious to see what page Rodgers is on versus the front office and where that leads things. And maybe that played into that little lingering sort of sense of him looking around and being like, this might be it for me at Lambeau.
I don't know if that's it for him and the NFL, by the way. I still don't know if this is just done for Aaron Rodgers forever. But that's kind of, you know, the way I see that. And it was, I thought-- you know, I love it when-- like the hook-and-ladder play from Detroit.
FRANK SCHWAB: Oh, my goodness.
CHARLES ROBINSON: It's like, oh, my god!
FRANK SCHWAB: Oh my god, I love that!
CHARLES ROBINSON: I know. It was like-- and people were like, well, they probably wouldn't have done that if they were playing for a playoff spot. I'm like, who cares?
FRANK SCHWAB: They might have. Yeah, it doesn't matter.
CHARLES ROBINSON: Like, who--
FRANK SCHWAB: I did say--
CHARLES ROBINSON: So what?
FRANK SCHWAB: Charles, I did say during the week, like, it's I-- it's on the record out there. I said, I thought the Lions had a chance to win. I thought they were going to cover and all that. And part of my reasoning was even if they're eliminated, that means the pressure's off. Let's YOLO this thing. Hook and ladders, we're going for it on fourth and 2.
CHARLES ROBINSON: Fourth down, yeah.
FRANK SCHWAB: We're gonna-- and on Rodgers' interception, what might be his last pass in the NFL--
CHARLES ROBINSON: That was a full blitz.
FRANK SCHWAB: --full blitz.
CHARLES ROBINSON: They sent everybody.
FRANK SCHWAB: Just send the house. Send the house. He, obviously, pretty much wasn't expecting it because he just kind of threw it wildly up towards Christian Watson, I think it was.
CHARLES ROBINSON: Yeah, he took a hit.
FRANK SCHWAB: Yeah. Yeah. And that might be his last pass in the NFL. Kind of like, you know, I mean Brett Favre's last pass in the NFL, with the Packers at least, was that pick against the Giants. It usually doesn't end well for guys. You don't get the storybook ending all the time. But Lions played free and easy, and the Packers were tight. They were. Like, you could tell.
It's all these January disappointments, especially on that field, just kind of weighing on their shoulders. You could just kind of see it. Like, the crowd seem tight. And maybe I'm just projecting. But it just seemed like everybody knew, like, we're screwing this up again, and they sure did.
CHARLES ROBINSON: And I mean, but there were times, too, though, where you're like-- I'm watching Jamaal Williams, and I'm like, man, I'm just running behind Penei Sewell all the time. It was like, you know what man--
FRANK SCHWAB: Oh, yeah.
CHARLES ROBINSON: --just follow. That dude is just a--
FRANK SCHWAB: He's good.
CHARLES ROBINSON: He is awesome. Such a good player.
FRANK SCHWAB: And Aidan Hutchinson falling in their lap at number two, not that-- I mean, Travon Walker might be a really, really good player. They're going to the playoffs too.
CHARLES ROBINSON: Hutchinson had a hell of a game too.
FRANK SCHWAB: But, man, he's good. Like, the Lions have some real pieces. And they got the-- I think the sixth pick of the draft coming up.
CHARLES ROBINSON: Yep.
FRANK SCHWAB: Future's really, really--
CHARLES ROBINSON: They'll have two first-rounders.
FRANK SCHWAB: The future's really, really bright for Detroit.