2021 NFC North preview: How do the Detroit Lions stack up?

The Green Bay Packers

Aaron Rodgers has not reported to Green Bay for their mandatory minicamps or voluntary workouts. It is probably as dangerous to assume that he is done playing football for the Packers as it is that the Lions will close out a game up by a couple of touchdowns going into a fourth quarter.

Setting that aside, psychological impact as much as anything else the rift does, Rodger’s backup, Jordan Love, is an athletically gifted player.

Love lacks experience but is surrounded by a great supporting cast. Assuming that Davante Adams and Aaron Jones will continue to give him go-to players means that the Packer’s offense, with its talented offensive line, will still present plenty of challenges for opposing defenses, regardless of whether or not No. 12 is under center.

The Packers boast the most players in the PFF Top-50 of any NFC North team, with Davante Adams (5th), Aaron Rodgers (10th), Jaire Alexander (14th), and David Bakhtiari (15th).

With Rodgers there, they are Super Bowl contenders. The NFL MVP seemingly used the drafting of Love as motivation and a resurgent group of skilled players to have his best season at 37-years-old.

While the kinks have not been worked out between he, the coaching staff, and general manager Brian Gutekunst, we would be surprised to see the entrenched parties not come to some sort of agreement prior to the regular season.

Should the relationship between Rodgers and the Green Bay front office not resolve itself, the division becomes much closer while they break-in their new signal-caller.