GREEN BAY, Wis. — Brett Favre said he thinks Aaron Rodgers will follow the same career path that he did and finish his career elsewhere now that the Green Bay Packers selected quarterback Jordan Love in the first round of the NFL draft last week.
“I think he’ll play somewhere else,” Favre said Wednesday on NBC Sports Network, cutting off host Rich Eisen before he could finish the question.
So Rodgers won’t end his career with the Packers?
“My gut tells me no,” Favre said. “I don’t know this for certain, but I guarantee you, it’s got the wheels turning in Aaron’s mind. If that’s the case, then that means there’s a chip on his shoulder toward the organization that otherwise was not there. All he needs is a reason other than this reason to expedite that.”
Rodgers, 36, has four years remaining on his $134 million contract extension signed in 2018. For salary-cap purposes, he’s virtually untradable until after the 2021 season.
Favre said he has talked with Rodgers since the Packers traded up four spots to pick Love at No. 26 on Thursday.
“I’m not going to talk about all that we talked about, but he was … let’s just say surprised that they went in that direction,” Favre said.
Rodgers has not spoken publicly since the draft, but Love told ESPN’s Maria Taylor that he has spoken with Rodgers. A source told ESPN that Rodgers initiated the call.
Favre and Rodgers, who have become better friends since Favre’s career ended, got off to a rocky start when the Packers picked Rodgers in the first round of the 2005 draft. Rodgers served as backup for three seasons before Favre left Green Bay to finish his career with the New York Jets and the Minnesota Vikings.
“I’m not surprised that he reached out to Jordan, being in a similar situation himself 15 years ago,” Favre said. “And we had a great relationship in spite of — I wouldn’t say it took a turn for the worst when I left, but he was basically caught up in the middle of a hornet’s nest, if you will. I don’t foresee that happening here. I think Aaron will do whatever. It’s not his job to mentor Jordan Love.
“This discussion went on when I left Green Bay. It’s not the head guy’s job to mentor the next guy. That guy’s ultimately there to take your spot. Now, if Jordan were to ask, ‘Can I watch extra film with you?’ I would be shocked if Aaron said no. I think he would go over and beyond to help, but he’s not going to go out of his way, and I can’t blame him.”
The Packers have faced criticism for not only taking a quarterback when Rodgers has four years left on his contract, but also for not doing more to upgrade the offense around Rodgers. In a draft where a record 36 receivers were taken, the Packers took none despite coming within a game of the Super Bowl last season under first-year coach Matt LaFleur.
“Green Bay’s not going anywhere without Aaron Rodgers in the next few years,” Favre said. “If he plays like we expect him to play, they’ve got a shot with or without a first-round receiver. So I would do all I could to not burn that bridge, and I don’t think they did that. I think they burned a bridge that’s going to be hard to overcome. At some point, I think it will rear its ugly head.”
Favre said the Packers should be one of the teams “playing for now.”
“They don’t draft any weapons, not just in the first round, but any weapons that can help immediately, to my knowledge. And that just sends a disrespectful message to Aaron Rodgers,” Favre said. “He has every right to be disappointed if he is.”