Why did Aaron Rodgers turn down an astronomical extension offer with the Green Bay Packers?

Green Bay, Wisconsin – Aaron Rodgers was offered a two-year extension with the Green Bay Packers that would make him the highest paid player in the NFLand he turned it down. Yet the question still remains: What will Rodgers do?

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has yet to announce where he intends to spend the 2021 NFL season.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has yet to announce where he intends to spend the 2021 NFL season.  © IMAGO / UPI Photo

According to ESPN, the Packers' MVP quarterback was offered a new contract that would've made him the highest-paid quarterback and player in the league, but it came with a catch.

The extension would've bound Rodgers to five additional seasons with the team, as well.

Despite the hefty pay raise, reportedly to the tune of an extra $21.5 million per year, sources told ESPN that Rodgers declined the extension, further proving that money isn't he only motivator for the estranged Packers quarterback.

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In April, sources within the Green Bay Packers organization told ESPN that Rodgers wanted to get out of Wisconsin due to issues with the team's upper management.

Despite the team's general manager Brian Gutekunst reiterating his commitment to Rodgers, telling ESPN, "Aaron has been a vital part of our success and we look forward to competing for another championship with him," the player himself has yet to publicly address the matter head-on.

Will Rodgers show up to training camp?

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers mid-play during a game against the Chicago Bears earlier this year.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers mid-play during a game against the Chicago Bears earlier this year.  © IMAGO / Icon SMI

As many know, action – or inaction, in this case – speaks louder than words.

Months of speculation surrounding whether Rodgers wanted to leave the team came to a head when the reigning MVP failed to appear at the Packers' mandatory preseason mini-camp in June.

The Packers organization could have fined its star player for missing the mandatory event, but they refrained from doing so.

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Still, it's hard to pinpoint the exact issue Rodgers is having with the Packers organization, though he provided some insight into the matter on SportsCenter in May.

In an interview with Kenny Mayne, Rodgers said, "It's just kind of about a philosophy and maybe forgetting that it is about the people that make the thing go. It's about character, it's about culture, it's about doing things the right way."

The Packers' mandatory training camp begins next Wednesday, July 28 – and the NFL world will be watching closely to see if their beloved number 12 shows up.

Cover photo: IMAGO / UPI Photo

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