Take the NFL out of it. Your boss comes in one day and introduces you to Bob. He tells you that, despite your contract to work there for 5 years, in two years, you’re fired, Bob is taking your job, and you should try your best to train Bob. I’d be a tad bit pissed. YMMV.
But if that’s more or less how you got your job, it really shouldn’t be a surprise.
It can be both unsurprising and still piss me off.
Sure, but that’s not even close to Rodgers’ situation. The equivalent, and it’s only going to be a very rough one, is that I’m in the single most important position in the company, and the entire enterprise will fail not only if I don’t do my job, but if I don’t do my job very well, and there are are more companies in my industry than there are individuals who are really good at my job. And my job is physically demanding, and injuries are common, and I can just decide to retire at any given time. And I’m already at an age where many people in my key position are already retired. Then my boss introduces me to Bob, who was just hired in an entry-level version of my position. My boss wants me to help mentor Bob to take over at some point if it’s necessary, but my main role is still going to be to do my job, and the company’s dedicated training staff are the ones who will actually be doing the bulk of Bob’s training. And it’s always been an expectation of my job that I help mentor my back-ups, and it’s always been a possibility that one of my back-ups will do my job better than me and will replace me.
I get that I’m an outlier here, and it’s just an accepted part of NFL culture that using a high draft pick on a position is an “insult” to the incumbent. I personally just don’t think it’s actually any sort of insult or reason to be pissed off.
But aren’t you disappointed that, while you were advocating that the company bring in high-level people for complementary roles that help you do your job better and give the company a better chance at success, they instead spent considerable capital to bring in Bob, who likely won’t bring any real value to the company for two or three years – and then, only if you leave?
You might as well just say he has no reason to be upset because football is just a game.
Alex Smith and Patrick Mahomes. Now, Smith is no Rodgers, but he was a good to very good QB. And I don’t think anyone thought that Mahomes would be as good as he is, or be that good that fast.
But Smith mentored him and, when it was obvious that Mahomes was going to be the guy, got himself traded to Washington where he once again demonstrated that he was still a good to very good QB.
I agree with you entirely. Rodgers is being a whiny prima donna about the whole thing. If his main concern was really “improving the team,” he would have kept his complaints in house instead of airing all the dirty laundry.
The guy is a great player, but he has not been a good “team player” about this situation.
I tend to think it’s rude not to respond when people take the time and effort to reply to my posts. But this is also not an argument I have any interest in continuing. I’ll just say I disagree and realize that I’m an outlier in doing so and leave it at that.
That’s a fair and mature response.
And anyone who wants to rag on Rodgers for any reason, even if I don’t agree with the reasoning behind it, I’ll support you. 
Another thing to consider is that going into the 2020 NFL draft, most observers agreed that the Packers’ greatest need was at wide receiver. So their selection of Jordan Love might have grabbed the headlines, but it was equally shocking that the Pack did not draft a single WR, not even with a late round flyer.
So it was really a double “screw you” to Rodgers to not only see them draft his replacement, but to also ignore a position that would be of obvious importance to him.
Here’s an article from earlier this week, from the Green Bay Press-Gazette (there’s a paywall, but they should have some free article reads), which summarizes Rodgers’ press conference from earlier this week.
He tried to downplay the Love situation, but what is clear is that he feels that, given what he’s accomplished with the Packers, he should have some input in things that “affect my job” (his words). He wants to be more involved in personnel decisions, including being used as an ambassador/recruiter as the Packers try to sign free agents – he says that he’s offered to do so, and has not, until now, been taken up on that. (I’ve read elsewhere that he sees how the Buccaneers have used Tom Brady as a recruiter, and wants to be able to do the same.)
He also notes that, when the Packers hired Matt LaFleur as their new coach in 2019, he wasn’t consulted on it at all – he only heard about it after the fact.
So he thinks he should be Assistant to the GM?
@DCnDC: you’re not wrong, but it’s clear that he feels that he’s earned that level of involvement. It’s also pretty clear that he has a certain level of envy of Brady.
And also of NBA players who basically get to pick their coaches and teammates.
Unvaccinated Carson Wentz is out indefinitely with a foot injury
Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy
Way too many unvaccinated idiots on the Washington Football Team. Rivera correctly pointing out that this could affect two regular season games depending on timing.
Maybe they can trade for Foles.
Looks like I’m not the only one who thought this.
Gotta admit, I’ve rarely seen a player turn one truly great post-season in an otherwise just above average career into quite this much money, entitlement, and drama. Rodgers may have him beat in all 3 of those categories in absolute numbers but definitely not relative to his ability level.
Kudos to Nick Foles for showing once again that the NFL really is a QB oriented league.