Aaron Rodgers savagely mocked Packers GM Brian Gutekunst in texts with teammates

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The Aaron Rodgers-Packers drama is getting pettier by the day.

The disgruntled star quarterback, who wants out of Green Bay, has made it clear to the organization that the brunt of his frustration lies with Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst. Now, a new report by The Athletic claims Rodgers mocked Gutekunst in team group chats – calling him Jerry Krause.

Krause is the late former Chicago Bulls GM and villain in Michael Jordan’s “The Last Dance” documentary, which saw Jordan and company clash with Krause for dismantling the Bulls’ 1990s dynasty.

In an attempt to appease the three-time NFL MVP, the Packers offered Rodgers a new deal that would make him the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL. Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes currently holds that title at $45 million per season.

“Those overtures were turned aside,” sources told The Athletic. “The fractured relationship between quarterback and team seems to have little or nothing to do with money.”

Murphy said last week on the Packers’ official website that he, Gutekunst and head coach Matt LaFleur have met with Rodgers separately this offseason. Murphy emphasized Rodgers’ strong relationship with LaFleur, and said the Packers remain committed to Rodgers as their leader.

The news of Rodgers’ strained relationship with the Packers broke last week, hours before the 2021 NFL Draft began.

Rodgers has not publicly explained why he wants a breakup with Green Bay. It’s widely believed tensions have been brewing after the Packers traded up in the first round of the 2020 draft to select Rodgers’ eventual replacement, Utah State product Jordan Love.

And Rodgers seems frustrated with his overall say in the lack of personnel decisions. The team cutting receiver Jake Kumerow before last season, a day after Rodgers publicly praised him, has been called a “death knell” in the relationship between the franchise and its best payer, NFL Network reported.

Earlier this week, Gutekunst discussed his decision to trade up and select Love.

“There’s no doubt about it. The draft’s an interesting thing. It can kind of unfold differently than you think it’s going to unfold, and it happens pretty fast,” he said. “But certainly, I think, looking back on it sitting where we sit today, there could have been some communication things we did better.”

As Rodgers remains mum about his Packers saga, he hasn’t shied away from the spotlight. He attended the 2021 Kentucky Derby on Saturday with actress fiancee Shailene Woodley — along with Packers offensive tackle David Bakhtiari and his fiancee, among others.

While at the star-studded event, Rodgers, who declined an interview with NBC, told his Kentucky Derby host that he was “disappointed that news has come out of this rift with the Packers.”

Rodgers is currently under contract with Green Bay through 2023.

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