Friday Cheese Curds: These are the Days of Our Rodgers

The further the Green Bay Packers spiral into mediocrity, the more eyes will be on Aaron Rodgers.

Instead of spending time looking at ways the Packers can upset the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, much of the narrative surrounding the team this week has centered on comments Rodgers made during his weekly appearance on The Pat McAfee Show. The quarterback putting his teammates on blast has divided Packers fans down the middle.

Some feel his comments reflect poor leadership while others say he’s doing what he should and those criticizing Rodgers are missing valuable context.

Regardless, this is just another episode of the soap opera that is Rodgers’ career since he threatened to leave the team in the spring of 2021.

As the face of the franchise, every word Rodgers says is going to be dissected and he knows this. He also has his own special way of not necessarily meaning what he said (remember him being “immunized”?).

His words carry weight and it’s starting to feel like this week will be the moment we all point to when the Packers’ season is either salvaged or enters its final death spiral.

Fair or not, it will also reflect on Rodgers’ leadership.

Packers’ Aaron Rodgers takes big risk with his accountability gambit this week—PackersNews.com (subscription required)

Rodgers losing the locker room might seem a little extreme but that’s the risk a player runs when they make comments like the ones he made. Rodgers isn’t the first to go this route but with their season hanging by a thread, it’s a bigger roll of the dice than normal.

Aaron Rodgers wants Packers to make most of underdog status—Packers.com

The Packers are 10.5 point underdogs and a good chunk of their fans expect this game to be a blowout. That’s where Green Bay has usually thrived in the past but this team apparently can’t handle getting punched in the mouth. Can they find the heart to make this one a game?

Packers head coach Matt LaFleur says ‘Sometimes the truth hurts’ after Aaron Rodgers airs dirty laundry in public—Yahoo! Sports

Of note, Matt LaFleur points the finger at himself on more than one occasion. Just a note.

Bills to test Packers third down defense in primetime—Packers Wire

Meanwhile in actual football, Josh Allen and company are going to test Joe Barry’s group like no one else has. Buffalo has high success rates on earlier downs but Allen still has a passer rating of 133.3 on third down. A big gut check moment is coming for the Green Bay defense

Man returns overdue library book checked out by his grandfather 84 years ago—UPI

Only a $21 late fee? That’s generous considering that book probably has a much higher value now.