Aaron Rodgers is officially holding out on the Packers.
Rodgers is not in attendance at the Packers’ first mandatory work of the offseason, a minicamp that began at 8:30 this morning, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
That’s no surprise: As soon as the Packers lost in the NFC Championship Game in January, Rodgers began making cryptic comments that hinted that he might not return to the team, and more recent reports have made it clear that Rodgers is serious about wanting out.
But just because Rodgers isn’t there now, doesn’t mean he won’t be when the season starts. If the Packers are adamant that they won’t trade Rodgers, he may decide that he’d rather keep playing for the Packers than not play at all. Retiring would mean not only not earning his $14.7 million salary this season, but also that he would have to pay back millions of dollars in previously earned bonuses.
This story is a long way from over, but what’s clear for now is the Packers are at work in Green Bay, and Rodgers isn’t there.