Packers GM Brian Gutekunst 'eternally grateful' for Aaron Rodgers

To the outside observer, it seemed as if the relationship between Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst and now-former star quarterback Aaron Rodgers had soured over the past few seasons.

Gutekunst drafted the signal-caller he was eyeing as an eventual heir apparent to Rodgers in Utah State's Jordan Love three years back. That selection sparked a multi-offseason headache, culminating in Rodgers' claim that the Packers did not try to contact him regarding his football future this offseason.

Gutekunst denied that claim, which was ultimately tied to a lack of cell service during Rodgers' introductory press conference with the New York Jets on Wednesday. The he-said-he-said nature of it all highlighted the essential awkwardness of Rodgers' final years in Green Bay.

That is all in the past now.

Rodgers is a member of the Jets while Gutekunst will be able to move forward with his chosen quarterback in Love. Gutekunst, as well as the Packers organization as a whole, has seemingly moved on from playing hardball with their longtime signal-caller

In fact, the general manager's statement on Rodgers' departure was downright reverent.

"We are eternally grateful for all that Aaron gave the Packers the last 18 years...it is his competitive greatness, leadership and toughness that make him such a special player and person. The daily expectations he placed on himself and his teammates were instrumental in all that we accomplished during a special era of Packers football," Guntekunst said.

"We wish Aaron nothing but success and look forward to welcoming him back to Green Bay in the future and celebrating his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame."

The Packers traded Rodgers, the No. 15 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and a 2023 fifth-rounder for the Jets' pick No. 13 in 2023, pick No. 42 in 2023 and a conditional second-round choice in 2024 that will become a first if Rodgers plays more than 65% of the snaps for New York this season.

The pick swap in the first and the second-round pick is nice, but it was that 2024 sweetener that really made this trade a win for Green Bay. That plus the fact that Rodgers' massive contract will be off the books by next offseason.

Oh, how things can change once a little bit of leverage has been applied.