Green Bay Packers, Aaron Rodgers, and the Unavoidable Divorce
The trade that we had all anticipated took place this week. Aaron Rodgers, the quarterback for the Green Bay Packers, was sold to the New York Jets in exchange for a minor haul of draft picks. With Jordan Love, their first-round selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Packers can now start over. In the hopes that Love may follow in the footsteps of the two titans who came before him—Rodgers and Brett Favre—they are now venturing into an unfamiliar realm. For his part, Rodgers receives the divorce he has been after for some time. The Packers are in it for the long haul, but Rodgers is focused on immediate recognition and glory. Still, it is difficult to see this marriage’s dissolution as anything but disappointing.
It’s a common observation that the Pittsburgh Steelers’ low rate of coach change is admirable. The Steelers have had three head coaches throughout the Super Bowl era: Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher, and Mike Tomlin. The Packers’ quarterback play has been consistently strong for a similar amount of time. The Packers have had two quarterbacks since 1992: Rodgers and Favre. It is generally agreed upon that these two individuals rank among the all-time top 10 players at the position.
The Packers have experienced great success at that time. The New England Patriots are the only club in the regular season win column since the team’s inception in 1992. The Packers have only had five losing seasons in those thirty-one years, and they have won their division fifteen times. Their play during the regular season has simply been outstanding. And yet, none of that success during the regular season has, as one might anticipate, translated into Super Bowl victories over that span.
The Packers have participated in and won two Super Bowls in those thirty-one years. For comparison, the Seahawks, Cowboys (during the Troy Aikman era), and Chiefs (during the Patrick Mahomes era) are the other clubs that have made three trips. The Packers were in possession of…
