Packers' Gutekunst: 'No Lack of Effort' in Trying to Communicate With Aaron Rodgers

Aaron Rodgers jokingly told reporters at his introductory press conference after his trade to the New York Jets that he didn't return the calls of Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst because he doesn't receive good cellular service at his house and FaceTime is the best way to reach him.

Gutekunst countered that the Green Bay Packers had tried to communicate with Rodgers after he was asked about those comments.

"Certainly we tried to communicate," he told reporters. "... There was no lack of effort by us. We tried to communicate on a number of different levels."

Rodgers' comments were the latest indication that he had absolutely zero intention to ever suit up for the Packers again.

"People who know me, I'm fortunate to live in a beautiful house," he said. "The only downside is I have very limited cell service. If you want to get ahold of me, I need to see your face. You have to FaceTime me."

Rodgers made his desire to end up in New York known publicly in March on The Pat McAfee Show.

"It's my intention to play for the Jets, but I'm still under contract with the Packers," he said at the time.

A divorce made sense. The Packers selected Jordan Love in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft, and a fourth straight season on the bench probably wouldn't have been great for his development. Rodgers, meanwhile, has appeared to sour on the Packers in recent years and a change of scenery was in the cards.

But Gutekunst expressed his thanks for the Rodgers era in the wake of the trade that sent Rodgers and the Nos. 15 and 170 overall picks in the 2023 NFL draft for the Nos. 13, 42 and 207 picks in this year's draft and a conditional 2024 second-rounder that will become a first-round pick if Rodgers plays 65 percent of the snaps this season.

"I have so much respect for Aaron, not only the person but the player that he is," Gutekunst told reporters. "There's so much gratitude in what he's done for this organization. Again, it would've been nice to have those conversations, but at the same time, over the last few years, I kind of understood that they may not happen. So it's different. It'll probably hit me a little bit at some other juncture when I don't have a lot on my plate."

Rodgers, 39, is a 10-time Pro Bowler, four-time MVP, four-time first-team All-Pro and one-time champion. He led the Packers to 11 playoff berths since becoming the starter in 2008.

Few players in NFL history have managed the quarterback position, one of the most complex jobs in professional sports, better than Rodgers. So if he wanted to get in touch with the Packers this offseason, he could—and would—have figured it out.