Aaron Rodgers Rumors

Photo from Packers.com

So the rumors are flying that Aaron Rodgers is gay.  They've gotten to the point where the star QB has addressed them directly.  He said on his radio show “I really, really like women. That’s all I can say about that.”  

So, the question is this:  "Is Aaron Rodgers gay?"  I happen to have the answer to that question.  The answer is an emphatic "who cares!"

The man has never made his personal life part of his public persona.  He's never made it anything that we've seen interfere with how he does his job.  More to the point, he's really good at his job.  I mean really good at his job of being the quarterback for the Green Bay Packers.  That should be all that matters. 

It's Time...

It is my distinct displeasure to inform Packer Nation that it is time... Time for the team to just officially declare that Aaron Rodgers will not play again this season.

While the Packers still have a slim playoff shot, it is abundantly clear that this team is not built for a deep playoff run.  The recent win over the Falcons, though a refreshing change of pace was not exactly a win over a quality team.  The Falcons may have started the year with Super Bowl aspirations, but they are not a good team this year.  For the first time in a long time, the defense did pretty much what it was supposed to, but wasn't overly impressive against an offense that is still missing its best player and hasn't found its pace all  year.

Bluntly put, the Lions may be poorly coached, but they're talented and potent.  The Bears look like they at least haven't missed a beat without Jay Cutler, and are doing well enough that there's talk that Cutler may not be back in Chicago.  With the wildcard out of any realistic reach, Green Bay will need to hop over both teams in the final three games in order to win the division and make the playoffs.  

By all rights, the Packers should have been eliminated weeks ago.  Luckily, the Lions and Bears have allowed the Packers to stay in the race, but that hope is false.  The weekly questions about Rodgers and his status is only stringing people along and it needs to stop.  The reports of Rodgers' playing status for Sunday is not encouraging.  If Rodgers is 100% ready to go this week, it's time to call it a season and focus on seeing what players are worth keeping around for next year.  

Rodgers is worth too much to risk when there isn't a legitimate chance at a championship.  The fact that that there were reports over the past couple fo weeks that the team hasn't even discussed the idea of shutting Rodgers down means that they're either not facing reality or, more likely, there's no discussion needed and the only debate internally is when to consider the season lost.  The last gasp may come this weekend.  Though, if Monday was any indication, a trip to Dallas may be just the thing to get the Packer's offense going.

Now that I think about it, there's a distinct possibility that this debate will start over again next week. 

Should Aaron Rodgers Call it a Season?

The reports are coming that Aaron Rodgers may have played his last game this year.  This should not surprise anybody.

The Packers haven't won a game since he got hurt and have seen the division slip away from them, despite the Bears and Lions doing their best to keep the Packers alive until Rodgers could come back.  The Thanksgiving visit to the woodshed courtesy of those same Lions went a long way to destroying any hopes Packers fans should have had of the team making a deep playoff run this year.  

Aaron Rodgers is too valuable to put at risk in meaningless games, and we're quickly reaching the point where the Packers will be playing for pride alone.  It's time for players and coaches, especially on defense, to start showing why they should have jobs next year.  As talented as the secondary is, they've looked awful at times.  Tramon Williams especially has regressed tremendously, picking up stupid penalties in multiple games including one for shoving an official on Thanksgiving.  

Missed tackles and blown assignments abound.  The tackles are a bit of a recent phenomenon this year, but the blown assignments have been a year-long thing.  We now live in a world where AJ Hawk is the most consistent player on defense.  I've never disliked him like many folks have, but the fact that he's the most consistent player on the defense at the moment shocks even me.  Clay Matthews wasn't even on the field for several critical third down plays against the Lions.

Dom Capers should be fighting for his job.  Joe Whitt (cornerbacks) and Darren Perry (safeties) should be out of jobs already.  Their players are giving games away with physical and mental errors.  With the possible exception of Williams, I don't think the problem is the players.  They're not ready to play and they're not held accountable for screwing up.  

Changes are on the horizon for the Packers, especially on defense.  This defense wasn't terribly bad at the beginning of the year, but recent events have shown us just how fragile the balance of a team can be.  Most teams can't withstand the loss of their franchise quarterback for a quarter of the season, but there's no excuse for a team imploding like the 2013 Green Bay Packers.  In short, the Packers have nothing to gain by letting Aaron Rodgers play again this season.