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A NEW DISTURBING NFL TREND THAT NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT

Aaron Rdogers Deshaun Watson Highjacking teams
There is a new disturbing trend in the NFL that nobody is talking about – the trend of players hijacking organizations. Former NFL scout Daniel Kelly breaks down the new NFL trend in the league.

There is a new disturbing trend in the NFL that nobody is talking about – the trend of players hijacking organizations. 

As someone who aspires to become an GM myself, I have sat back over the past couple of years and watched this trend developing and I do not like it. 

It all started back in the fall of 2019 when Washington’s franchise left tackle Trent Williams demanded to be traded and used his medical condition as leverage. Although I sympathize with his medical condition, I watched him use it to somehow place blame on the team for providing improper medical care. Williams raised such a stink about it, he became the final straw that got team President Bruce Allen fired. The whole thing fell on Allen when Williams said his medical condition was so bad he could no longer even fit his helmet on his head. The whole situation reached an “impasse,” before Williams got what he really wanted, which was to be traded. Would you believe as soon as Williams got to San Francisco his helmet “magically” fit again

This past off-season, it has gotten even worse. 

First, quarterback Deshaun Watson wanted out immediately when the Houston Texans hired new team GM Nick Caserio and Head Coach David Culley. Watson was already packing his bags the morning after Culley was hired. In fact, he started stirring the pot before Culley was even hired on January 29. On January 18, Watson liked an Instagram post that suggested the Jets trade for him which really opened up Pandora’s box. Watson wanted out despite recently signing a new four year, $156 million dollar extension only months early this past September. I mean if he did not like playing for Houston any longer, why did he sign the extension? Then after that, the mudslide of allegations happened and that whole thing fizzled out. Had the allegations not happened – we would all be watching Watson trying to leverage his way out of Houston. 

And then there is Aaron Rodgers. I have my harshest words reserved for him that will cut through him and his situation harder than he can throw. 

Rodgers was the leader of the Green Bay Packers and the team paid him well for being in that position. The Packers have done nothing but show their undying loyalty to him since the day they decided to trade the legendary Brett Favre to go with him instead. 

Now Rodgers has the audacity to rip on team management over cutting little known receiver Jake Kumerow a while back?

Rodgers was quoted on larrybrownsports.com as saying, “Jake Kumerow has been such a solid performer for us the last couple of years. I love his reliability,” Rodgers said, via Ryan Miller of the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. “I think he’s a fantastic, steady player, who’s very heady on the field. He makes plays, he plays with a lot of confidence and he’s a guy who you love having on your squad.” 

Is Rodgers talking about the same Kumerow who was targeted 32 times and could only manage to catch 20 passes in two seasons with the Packers (2018-2019)? 

And now this is supposed to be the damning roster move that is supposed to push GM Brian Gutekunst out the door? 

This is one of the most ridiculous things I have seen in 40 years of watching the game. All Packers management has done is built a roster loaded with talent that has gone to the NFC Championship games the past two consecutive seasons. 

It is time to call an audible and adjust the national narrative on this one. Gutekunst has done a great job building the team, which is evident by the consistent championship level results Green Bay has achieved. If anything, Gutekunst should be considered to be awarded with NFL Executive of the Year honors for reshaping and retooling this roster in only one year after he got the job in 2018. 

In an earlier article I wrote for Draft Diamonds, I was appalled how Rodgers had tried his hardest to undermine the entire Packers’ organization in the playoffs. If that was not bad enough, now Rodgers is mocking Gutekunst in text messages? To make things even worse, Rodgers is actually telling free agents he does not plan to play in Green Bay in 2021 in an attempt to even further damage the Packers’ chances of improving their roster and chances for the upcoming season? 

Are you kidding me? 

My heart goes out to the loyal fan base of the Packers. It must be so incredibly disheartening to be so close to going back to the Super Bowl only to find out who you thought was your star QB would do this to you? 

The Packers however responded more graciously than Rodgers deserved. They made an offer to make Rodgers the highest paid QB in the game, yet he still sits and pouts? 

And there are actually fans out there who are advocating for Rodgers’ behavior? There are people out there who actually sympathize with him? And there are still teams out there who want to trade for him? 

Trust me, if he will do this to “his team,” he will do it to another organization in a heartbeat. 

This is a vitally important place on the timeline of the Green Bay Packers’ organization and also on the timeline of the National Football League. It is time to deliver a very concise, a very clear and a very hard message to Rodgers and force him into retirement and consider banning him from the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Players like Rodgers are no different than the terrorists who threaten our democracy because it is players like Rodgers who threaten the very fabric of the game we love. 

Otherwise, in a league of trends this type of thing with franchise players under contract just suddenly waking up one morning and deciding to move on is just beginning and guys like Williams, Watson and Rodgers will only prove to be the front runners in this very league unfriendly movement. 

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum and Dick Haley. He currently writes for Sports Illustrated Detroit Lions and he is a contributing evaluator for Draft Diamonds. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. He can be followed on Twitter @danielkellybook and his Facebook page is WHATEVER IT TAKES NFL TALK. 

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