MADISON, Wis. — It was a busy day in the sports world as Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers announced his “intention” to play for the New York Jets.

What You Need To Know

  • Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers on Wednesday announced his “intention” to play for the New York Jets

  • ESPN Radio hosts Jim Rutledge and Matt Hamilton said Packers fans were tired of offseason drama

  • When polled, 69% of listeners said they were relieved to see Rodgers go

Jim Rutledge and Matt Hamilton of ESPN Radio Madison weren’t surprised by the news. 

“Whether it’s on purpose, or it’s just because he got older and is more set in his ways, [Rodgers] has become less and less involved in the Green Bay community,” said Rutledge. “And has been less and less of a favorite for Packer fans, more importantly.”

That’s not true for Hamilton, though. He wore his Rodgers jersey to work Wednesday. 

“This is kind of like my generation’s quarterback, so it’s just a bummer,” Hamilton said. 

Still, Hamilton acknowledges the reputation Rodgers has gained over the last few years. 

“Maybe the off-the-field interviews, and just how he doesn’t do anything in the offseason, or at least with the Packers in the offseason, I think that just rubbed a lot of Packers fans the wrong way,” Hamilton said. “We’re a proud bunch. We want that player to be as invested as we are as fans.”

Listening to their callers, three offseasons of will-he-won’t-he hasn’t helped. 

“A lot of Packer fans were like, you know what, I used to be with Aaron,” Rutledge said. “But three offseasons of this, along with everything he does with other media whether it’s taking potshots at the coach, potshots at the players, I think people were just sick of the drama.” 

They polled their listeners at the top of their 2 p.m. show. 

“Are you relieved, or are you sad? Right now about 70% of you on our poll question are relieved,” Rutledge said on the air. “Which doesn’t mean that they’re not also sad, but they’re feeling more relieved than sad.”

Now, they’ll focus on what happens next. 

“It’s the Jordan Love era for Green Bay Packer fans,” Rutledge said with a smile.

He remembered when Brett Favre moved on, and then-Bears coach Lovie Smith welcomed the Packers to “the rest of the NFL”, where teams don’t have consistent star quarterbacks. However, Rodgers exceeded those expectations for more than a decade.

The green and gold will enter a new phase almost certainly without #12 at the helm for the first time in years. 

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