By Adam Roberts – 6/7/2021
The Aaron Rodgers saga may take an interesting turn tomorrow. One that has been anticipated by media types, fans, and likely the front office as well.
Mandatory team minicamp begins tomorrow, moved up about a week last month and set to run through Thursday. As the name would imply, attendance in Green Bay is compulsory, with fines able to be levied against players who don’t show up. While wide receiver Devin Funchess said on Twitter he would be there, and other big-name wideouts who stayed away from OTAs are also expected there, it’s anyone’s guess to whether or not Rodgers will be present.
Should Aaron miss out, the team has the option to fine him just a tick over 93,000 dollars. However, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter and others have noted, just because the team CAN fine Rodgers for a no-show doesn’t mean they WILL fine him. Green Bay could instead choose to issue him an extended absence that would excuse him from the fines. What kind of message that would send to the locker room, however, is uncertain.
All of this comes after Packers team president Mark Murphy said last week in his monthly column the debate over Rodgers’ future has divided the fan base. The team remains adamant they can resolve things with Aaron and have him as their quarterback in 2021 and beyond.