Aaron Rodgers officially began his holdout this week when he did not report to mandatory minicamp. It does not seem like he and the Green Bay Packers are any closer to a solution, but the team is apparently still making a strong effort to smooth things over.
The Packers have the option of fining Rodgers more than $93,000 for missing minicamp, or they can categorize the absence as excused. ESPN’s Adam Schefter said on “Get Up!” this week that they will likely do the latter, even though it could potentially set a bad precedent. The reporter believes Green Bay officials are willing to step outside their comfort zone for one of the best players in franchise history.
“I was told yesterday that the Packers are prepared to make another run at him and go try to meet with him again after this mandatory minicamp,” Schefter said. “The general manager and the president could be headed out to try to meet with him again to try to convince him — yet again as they’ve tried to do throughout the offseason to no avail — to come back.”
Schefter also said he was told Rodgers is still “strong as h-ll” in his commitment to not showing up. You can hear his full comments below:
If Rodgers does not report to training camp next month, the Packers will have no choice but to fine him $50,000 per day. They can also try to recoup millions in bonus money at that point. One NFL insider wondered if the team is essentially daring Rodgers to not show up, but Schefter’s report makes it seem like they are at least making some effort to salvage the relationship.
One of Rodgers’ former Packers teammates shed some light this week on what the quarterback’s real beef is with the organization.
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