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Rodgers has dug in his heels in a dispute with the Packers.
Aaron Rodgers has divided the Packers fan base, but not his teammates.
Two of Rodgers’ closest friends on the team showed their support for the quarterback at Packers minicamp on Tuesday as the reigning MVP officially began his holdout amid tension with the franchise.
“I’ve got his back through everything so he knows that, at the end of the day, if there’s ever a wonder if he’s lost a teammate or something because of all that’s come out, he knows where I stand,” star receiver Davante Adams said, according to ESPN.com.
“I’ll stand on the f–king mountain and scream on the mountaintop that I’ve got his back.”
Whether Adams catches another pass from Rodgers, though, remains to be seen. Rodgers has dug in his heels in a dispute that seemingly started with the team’s decision to trade up to draft quarterback Jordan Love last year and continued with the franchise’s initial resistance to giving Rodgers an extension this offseason.
“I’ve definitely voiced to him, I’m like, ‘You know what, whatever happens, look, it’s out of my control [and] the situation is between you and the organization, and that’s where it’s going to stay,’ ” said offensive tackle David Bakhtiari, who is recovering from a torn ACL.
“‘I don’t want to, at all, in any time, get in the middle of that. I respect you as a friend and however that turns out, I’m not going to take anything personally.’ “
Rodgers’ absence on Tuesday was the first official day of his holdout with minicamp being mandatory. The Packers could fine Rodgers up to $93,085 assuming he misses the whole three-day minicamp, though the team could opt to waive the punishment as an olive branch.
Adams and Bakhtiari said that their support of Rodgers has not caused any issues between them and the team.
“I think that any GM, any president, any owner, they should want the type of guys that are backing their players, especially a player like that,” Adams said. “That’s just a good trait to have. It’s not like I’m saying, ‘Forget the front office,’ like I don’t respect what they have going on.”
GM Brian Gutekunst, who appears to be Rodgers’ primary agitator, has maintained the Packers have no intention of trading the franchise star.
“For me, I care about Aaron Rodgers from a friend perspective,” Bakhtiari said. “Whatever he wants to do, whatever the situation that comes out, I will never hold any grudge against him. That is my friend. That is someone that I have appreciated, and he has done a lot for this organization and a lot for me as an individual.
“Now, as a teammate I would be idiotic to say that I don’t want the MVP back. He’s the MVP of the league last year. He’s done amazing things as from the quarterback perspective, our quarterback position, but not only for the franchise. So absolutely.”
This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:Justin Terranova
