By Sean Gannon

Aaron Rodgers has officially made it to training camp, and Green Bay’s front office, players, and fans are taking a huge sigh of relief. After a long and overall confusing offseason with the reigning MVP, the Packers gear up for Rodgers 17^th season with the team but not without a few speed bumps.

Just a few weeks ago, a deal was on the table to make Rodgers the highest-paid player in the NFL; contract talks with Devante Adams were getting going, but as quickly as it started, it ended. Adams and the Packers front office have stopped all discussions of a new contract as of Friday (July 23^rd), which leaves the NFL’s best vast receiver future in Green Bay up in the air. While Rodgers is back, for now, the prospect of him being around after the 2021 season seems all the less likely to happen. Green Bay and Rodgers reached a new deal that voided his 2023 season and will allow him to seek a trade in the 2022 offseason so, while he is around for the 2021 season, it’s on limited time.

What does this mean for the Packers exactly? The 2021 season looks solid with Rodgers under center. The Packers are one of the best teams in the league, and with David Baktehari coming back from injury to protect Rodger’s blindside, there is no reason they can’t be back in the NFC Championship Game for the third year in a row. Their chances of winning a Superbowl in 2021 shifted from +2800 odds without Rodgers to +1400 with Rodgers (according to DraftKings). However, going forward, it’s looking almost as a guarantee that next offseason Aaron Rodgers will not be in Green Bay to be playing football. If you’re the Packers front office, you’re happy he will be around this season but hopeful that whoever trades for him offers a massive haul of draft picks and players for one of the best to play the game.

The future of the Packers relies heavily on this season; having a great season and getting Rodgers and Adams on their good side could be huge. The ability to retain them both is the team’s goal but seemingly unlikely from Rodgers’s side. With that in mind, they should focus on Devante Adams and make sure they can keep the best wide receiver around until the end of his career, especially with Jordan Love looking to be the quarterback for 2022 and beyond.