Most NFL pundits are high on the Green Bay Packers for 2022.
They come into the 2022 NFL season as a favorite in the NFC, behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Los Angeles Rams.
However, there’s a good chance that the team falters this season.
While fans of the Packers are naysayers to their team faltering, it’s actually a real possibility.
But who would be to blame if Green Bay falters this season?
Aaron Rodgers Has Let The Packers Down Every Turn Since Winning A Super Bowl
However, Packers fans will never say Aaron Rodgers let them down.
He’s got four MVP titles, many NFC North titles, and one Super Bowl championship.
But ever since winning that Super Bowl, he’s let the team down.
Sure, he can win the division, but when you have teams like the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions, there shouldn’t be an issue winning that division.
While Chicago has won the division a couple teams since Rodgers took over in Green Bay, they never have all the pieces together each season.
Rodgers got some of the best receivers and defensive players during his time with Green Bay.
The year they won the Super Bowl, the Packers defense was ranked second in the NFL.
the packers ranked #2 in defense the year rodgers won the super bowl, the broncos ranked #4 in 2015 when peyton won his second but a lot people considered them the best defense in the league …..
— BAD LUCK LION – SEWELL SZN 🥞 (@_RATEDRSUPASTAR) September 25, 2020
However, since then, they’ve been losing some of their best talent.
The reason for this is none other than Rodgers himself.
Rodgers’ Contract Soaks Up Too Much Cap Space
Before Davante Adams got traded to the Las Vegas Raiders, he was put on a franchise tag.
The biggest player, outside of Rodgers, couldn’t get a deal worthy of his talents.
While he had his heart set on Vegas, he at least could have gotten that extension had Rodgers’ contract not soaked up the cap space.
By the time Rodgers and the Packers restructured his contract, it was already too late.
They lost many players because of this.
They came into the 2022 offseason over the cap by $49 million, needing to both cut and rework contracts to get under the cap.
With the restructures of NT Kenny Clark and RB Aaron Jones, the Packers have now created close to $14M in cap space over the past two days.
GB was around $49M in the hole to begin the off-season, with both moves, they now sit close to $35M over the cap.
— NFL Talk (@NFL_Talk_Sports) February 24, 2022
While they saved $14 million with a restructure of the contracts of Kenny Clark and Aaron Jones, it wasn’t enough.
They would need to cut some players, important players that would have been key to the Packers’ success in 2022.
According to Over the Cap, the Packers have freed up $18.7 million in cap space with the releases of Za’Darius Smith and Billy Turner this morning. Add in the reported $8 million from Preston Smith’s extension. pic.twitter.com/rjJaBZQb5k
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) March 14, 2022
That would get them to $32.7 million in cap savings, still not enough to cover the $49 million they were over to start with.
Rodgers’ cap hit in 2022 would cause the Packers to cut too many talented players from their roster, before restructuring his contract.
Aaron Rodgers' updated cap number for 2021: $27,573,568
Aaron Rodgers' updated cap number for 2022: $46,144,157
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) July 30, 2021
Had they done this before the 2022 offseason even started, they could have saved so many talented players.
However, that $46.1 million cap before restructuring will cause the Packers to falter in 2022.
Too Little Too Late
Rodgers’ new $28.5 million restructure saves the Packers $17.6 million this season.
Rodgers' cap hits over the next 3 years. pic.twitter.com/D3SiEjUORi
— J Flan (@JustFlanagan) April 20, 2022
However, the savings were too little too late for the Packers.
Now they head into 2022 without a star receiver and rookies who will be thrown into the fire in Green Bay.
Just remember, when the Packers falter, they could have avoided it had it not been for Rodgers and his huge contract.
NEXT: Packers Clinging To An All-Time Record In 2022