I'm a football nerd; so, I'm saying it: Aaron Rodgers managed to play his cards pretty damn poorly.
It's actually rather incredible that the guy who won MVP last season could be in a position with so little leverage; but, that's the case here.
Rodgers could need to pay $15 million back to the Packers if he refuses to play. Retiring or holding out would cost him upward of $35 million. I know that Rodgers is swimming in money; but, $35 million is something that not even Elon Musk loses in the couch cushions.
Rodgers' only shot was to get the Packers to trade him. They have no reason to. They traded up to get Jordan Love for a reason. Either Rodgers shows up and the Packers have their MVP QB back or he doesn't and they move on to Jordan Love with an extra $35 million to spend in other spots.
The thing is, this isn't a poker game. The cards were on the table. Rodgers has a pair and the Packers have a full house. For some reason, despite that, Rodgers decided to go all in.