Rodgers: Relationship with GM Gutekunst 'a work in progress'
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers acknowledged that he and general manager Brian Gutekunst are still working on their relationship.
"I think it's a work in progress. I think relationships aren't formed in a matter of a couple days," Rodgers said, according to NFL.com's Nick Shook. "There's times where the respect grows and the communication follows. I think the greatest relationships that you have with your friends and loved ones involve conversations and flow. You can not talk to a close friend for a few months and pick up right where you left off.
"There's no break in communication, there's no forced conversations where you got to hit this person up because it's on your to-do list that day. It's all about wanting to have those conversations and wanting to be in a conversation like that. We've had a couple conversations, they've been positive conversations."
The rocky relationship between Rodgers and the Packers' front office has been highly publicized and almost resulted in the quarterback's departure this year.
Last week, the 37-year-old denied rumors from earlier in the offseason about making Green Bay choose between him and Gutekunst.
There were also reports regarding the signal-caller looking for a new contract this year, as he wanted the Packers to be more committed to him moving forward. He said Green Bay didn't contact him about a deal early in the offseason and then tried to solve the issue by "throwing some money" at him. One of the club's offers reportedly would've made the nine-time Pro Bowler the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL.
The three-time MVP ended up signing a restructured deal with the Packers that will reportedly make him a free agent after the 2022 season and won't let the team place the franchise tag on him.
Green Bay acquired wideout Randall Cobb from the Houston Texans last week in a move described by Gutekunst as "very important" to the quarterback.
Gutekunst joined the Packers in 1998 as a scout and has worked in multiple roles since. Green Bay named the 48-year-old its general manager in 2018.
Rodgers, a first-round pick in 2005, is coming off a fantastic campaign that saw him lead the NFL in pass completions and touchdowns while posting a 13-3 record.
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