#Adam Schefter stirs Packers-Aaron Rodgers drama: ‘Triple slap’ in face

ESPN’s Adam Schefter doesn’t think there was any ambiguity in the message the Packers sent to 36-year-old Aaron Rodgers on draft day by trading up to select Jordan Love over a wide receiver.

“It wasn’t just a double slap [in the face],” the NFL insider said while mimicking a slapping motion on ESPN’s “Get Up” on Wednesday, “it was a triple slap because they not only took the quarterback, the replacement — they traded up to get him. They gave up an extra pick that they could have gotten another wide receiver — bam, bam, bam!”

After a 13-3 regular season finish and a gut-wrenching loss to the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game, the Packers curiously chose to draft Love, a polarizing prospect from Utah State with boom-or-bust potential. Trading up four sports cost Green Bay its fourth-round pick (No. 136) and deprived Rodgers of another weapon like Michael Pittman or Tee Higgins, top receivers whom were still on the board.

“So they gave up the first draft pick and I think they gave up an additional mid-round pick,” Schefter said. “So they gave up a lot of picks where they could have gotten one of those players to step in and help Aaron Rodgers rather than compete with him for the starting job.”

Meanwhile, Love, 21, has been lauded as a gunslinger with Patrick Mahomes-level upside, but has drawn criticism for excessive turnovers, especially in his final year at Utah State.

The transaction was head-scratching at best, especially in light of the years — and subsequent dead cap liability — remaining on Rodgers’ current contract, as well as the abundance of talent at receiver in this year’s draft class, which is a relatively shallow position for the team. The Packers have struggled to find a reliable second receiving option for Rodgers to complement star wideout Davante Adams, who suffered an injury scare at practice on Wednesday.

“So if you’re trading up to go get a guy, that tells you that the organization loves that player and they are waiting for that player to step in,” Schefter added. “And at a day and age where teams who go with young quarterbacks on rookie contracts, they have a big advantage financially because they have to pay the quarterback so little money. So bam, bam, bam — they’re clearing space to move on from Aaron Rodgers at some point because the organization loves the quarterback that they decided to trade up to get him.”

Rodgers carries a $21.6 million 2020 cap hit ($51.1 million dead cap) and a $36.4 million 2021 cap hit ($31.6 million dead cap), according to Spotrac. His dead cap hit drops significantly in 2022 to $17.2 million, which is probably the earliest point at which the Packers would move on from him. The organization likely aims to have Love redshirt for at least a season under the veteran’s mentorship, a scenario that did not play out amicably 15 years ago with Rodgers and an aging Brett Favre.