Possibility of Rodgers sitting out 2021 is unfathomable, Peyton Manning says
GREEN BAY, Wis. - The possibility of Aaron Rodgers sitting out the 2021 season amid his drama with the Green Bay Packers is unthinkable to Peyton Manning.
Manning, whose former team the Denver Broncos have been linked in trade rumors for Rodgers, appeared on the MLB Network for the Home Run Derby at Coors Field in Denver and was asked about the reigning NFL MVP.
"Great question. Obviously, it's the question of the summer here in Denver," Manning said, via NFL.com. "Obviously, I hope he plays somewhere this year. The fact that Aaron Rodgers might not play this year, I can't fathom it. He's too good of a player. Too fun to watch for the fans. I personally hope it's in Green Bay. That's what I see him as. I hope they can kinda make amends and work [it] out. That team is so close, if he were to leave there it'd be a major change, obviously, for them."
Manning said he didn’t believe Rodgers was going to be traded to Denver and cited the two viable starting quarterbacks the Broncos already have.
"My gut is he's not coming to Denver. My gut is Denver's gonna have Drew Lock or Teddy Bridgewater be their quarterback. At this point, you gotta kinda know what your plan is, you can't be having a new quarterback three weeks before the season," he said.
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Rodgers has been cryptic about whether he will play for the Packers, while the Green Bay front office has been adamant about keeping him.
He moved swiftly around the blitz of questions about playing for the Packers during "The Match" last week, replaying "we’ll see."
Rodgers talked about how he spent the offseason and it centered on getting into the right frame of mind.
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"I'm very thankful for the opportunity to work on my mental health," Rodgers said, via ESPN. "I haven't dealt with bouts of depression or anything, that I think for whatever reason, are OK to talk about if you're talking about mental health. I've just really been trying to think about what puts me in the best frame of mind. What habits can I form that allow me to feel most in my body, most present, happiest? And that's what I've been doing."