The Packers remain contenders and avoid falling into the doldrums by bringing back Aaron Rodgers

Aaron Rodgers almost guarantees the Packers a spot in the playoffs.

Break up to make up, that’s all they do.

But this time the Green Bay Packers and Aaron Rodgers appear to be back together for good, as the sides reportedly agreed to a four-year deal worth $200 million. 

To be fair, they never actually broke up, but Rodgers certainly flirted with the idea of leaving for at least the past two offseasons. In the end, the Packers convinced him to stay with the only franchise he’s known in his 17-year career, and it was the right call for one obvious reason:

Since Rodgers took over as their starting quarterback in 2008, the Packers have missed the playoffs just three times. That’s right, three times in 14 years — and one of those years he was on injured reserve, another was his first year back, and the third was his first year as a starter.

2022 Green Bay Packers Odds

It’s not just that the Packers always make the playoffs, but they’re annually considered a contender to reach and win the Super Bowl. That’s because of Rodgers. With him back, that will remain the case next season.

Of course, winning a Super Bowl is hard and they’ve only actually done it once in Rodgers’ time in Green Bay. But that one time is more than 22 other teams in the same span, and Rodgers is still playing at an extremely high level as evidenced by his back-to-back MVP awards.

Not to mention, the rest of the NFC North has a lot more questions than answers. The Chicago Bears have a new coach and developing quarterback. The Minnesota Vikings went just 8-9 last season and have a lower ceiling on what they can accomplish with Kirk Cousins. The Detroit Lions are, well, the Detroit Lions.

Without Rodgers, the Packers would’ve been shrouded in similar uncertainty as their division foes. No one is even sure if Jordan Love is any good — though plenty fans are sorry about another lost chance for him to prove it. With Rodgers, Green Bay is almost guaranteed a playoff spot and a chance to fight for a Super Bowl berth. That’s all any team ever wants. That’s worth whatever it took to bring him back.

The only question with Rodgers, 38, is how long he can maintain this level of play. But if we learned anything from Tom Brady, it’s to not doubt that an all-time great can be good well into his 40s.