As expected, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was named the National Football League’s Most Valuable Player for the 2021 season on Thursday night, making it back to back MVP awards and now gives him four in his 17 year career. He becomes just the 5th player in league history to win MVP in consecutive seasons, joining fellow Packer great Brett Favre who won it three straight years (1996, 1997, 1998 shared with Barry Sanders), Jim Brown of the Cleveland Browns (1957, 1958), Joe Montana of the San Francisco 49ers (1989, 1990) and Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts (2008, 2009). Rodgers now has the second most MVP awards in NFL history behind only Manning (5) who announced Aaron as the winner at the NFL Honors Ceremony in Los Angeles.
Rodgers led the NFL in passer rating at 111.9 last season, throwing 37 touchdown passes to just four interceptions in leading the Packers to a third straight North Division crown and the NFC’s number one seed only to get upset by San Francisco 13-10 in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at Lambeau Field. Rodgers garnered 39 of the 50 votes from the Associated Press panel, compared to 10 for Tom Brady of Tampa Bay and one for Cooper Kupp of the Los Angeles Rams.
Donning a tan suit, Rodgers delivered an acceptance speech with grace and humor.
Rodgers also won the MVP Award following the 2011, 2014 and 2020 seasons.
Following the ceremony, he met with members of the media and talked some more about the honor and what the future holds for him. Rodgers is under contract through the 2022 season but was given the option to seek a trade if he so desires as an inducement to get him to return to the team after a difficult off season in 2021. If the Packers want to retain Rodgers, it will take a restructuring of his contract or a re-worked extension because the team is under serious salary cap pressures. Rodgers indicated he hasn’t made a decision yet but repeated his pledge to come to a conclusion soon to allow the Packers a chance to plan with or without him. He said he doesn’t fear retirement or moving on but his competitive fire remains high.
One point Rodgers wanted to stress was the feeling he is in a much better place with Packers President Mark Murphy, Vice-President of Football Operations Russ Ball and General Manager Brian Gutekunst and the entire organization than he was at this point a year ago.
If there is a deadline for a decision, it will likely be when the NFL’s new calendar year begins in March when teams have to be in compliance with the salary cap and when free agency begins.
