The Stink of the Packers is Coming from Aaron Rodgers

This picture seems to come up whenever we talk about the Packers at midseason

Waking up this morning I read a story on Bleacher Report that had Aaron Rodgers saying that he was upset with the Packers sense of urgency, and the way that some of the players conducted themselves after they lost their second straight game, to the Colts, and now stand at 4-4.

Look, I agree that most of that team, my team, has no urgency and they do not seem to care about the outcome of the game. But, with that being said, I think it all falls on their leader, quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The fact that he is blaming everyone except himself is laughable. I watched the majority of that game yesterday, and he looked as aloof and uncaring as anyone on the team. He had no sense of urgency. When they got down 14-3 quick in the first quarter, he approached each play as if the score was tied, or the Packers were winning. He looked very ho hum and kind of disinterested yesterday.

That game wasn't just an outlier, Rodgers has looked that way the entire season so far. He has been the main guy with no sense of urgency. Earlier this year, while playing the Bears, the Packers defense kept doing what they needed to do, getting stops, but the offense, led by Rodgers, would go out there, run 3 stupid plays, and punt the ball. They were even down in the third quarter of that game before the Packers realized that they are much better than the Bears, and they eventually pulled away. But yesterday, earlier this year against the Cowboys and Vikings as well, the Packers have looked mediocre at best. I say again, that goes on the leader of the team, Aaron Rodgers.

I'm a huge Aaron Rodgers fan, but he has looked pretty, for his standards, average this year. People will say the line is the problem, or the receivers aren't getting separation, or they have no running game with Eddie Lacy out. Whatever. All those things have been true for three years now, but this is the worst the Packers have looked in that three year stretch. I don't know if it is Mike McCarthy's play calling, he needs to be fired, if the receivers are really this average, or if Rodgers has just thrown in the towel on this season so he can do more TV appearances and commercials. I'm embarrassed to call myself a Packers fan right now, and it is mainly because of the play from Rodgers. He has been holding onto the ball much too long. The line has been giving him time, but he has taken far too many sacks, or just thrown the ball away too much.

You watch ESPN, and they will chastise the line, not Rodgers. Then, others will say the receivers aren't getting open, which is true to an extent, but that was never a real problem until late last season, and all of this season. Rodgers used to be able to fit the ball into the smallest of windows, but his ball doesn't have the same zip that it used to have. I also do not think he trusts the receivers like he used to. The guys are good, Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, Davante Adams and Richard Rodgers are all decent, but for some reason, Rodgers is afraid to throw to them in tight windows. He looks like he'd rather take a sack or throw the ball away then take the chances he took 2 and 3 years ago.

Then there is the running game. Look, I know it is rough. Ty Montgomery has become their lead back, and he is a slot receiver, but that cannot be why they are so bad this year. Montgomery has actually looked pretty good running the ball out of the backfield. Eddie Lacy wasn't setting the world on fire, but he was capable of making the run game a threat. I feel like Montgomery is doing the same thing right now.

Rodgers won't go on a post game interview and praise the fact that a slot receiver has really stepped up in the run game for the team and is doing well, he just wants to talk bad about everyone but himself. This is the first time that I can say that I have seen Rodgers be selfish. He has always seemed like a team guy, but this interview made me very angry. I get that they are struggling right now, I watch them every Sunday, so I know, but to throw your whole team under the bus, that is cowardly. These superstar players never do this publicly either, well, at least not the real superstar players. You never see Tom Brady publicly blaming his teammates. Michael Jordan handled his business behind closed doors famously. Mike Trout hasn't come out and complained once about being on a terrible Angels team. And I do not know many hockey players, but I have never heard any stories about guys like Wayne Gretzky or Mark Messier calling out their teammates publicly. Rodgers should have handled it like those guys, namely Michael Jordan. To air stuff out for the mass media, in public, is a shameful and a me first take on your team.

I am upset, obviously. The Packers are tanking and their best player is blaming everyone but himself, even though he probably has the most problems on this team right now. This Packers season has not gone to plan, and to hear Rodgers say this stuff this morning has made it even worse. Hopefully they can turn it around, but I do not see that happening, not after these remarks from their "leader".

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Not long ago he thought the Packers could turn it around. Read what he had to say. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.