Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst has flipped the fanbase’s opinion of him by simply giving the shareholders what they want. First-round wide receiver? Done. Trade for an All-World pass rusher? Done.
And Aaron Rodgers thought Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan was being aggressive for him in what might be his final NFL season.
Now Rodgers is looking forward to wearing his prison jumpsuit uniforms against his former team in Week 8, hoping that his exceptionally young offensive line will be ready to withstand the pressure created by the newest Packer on the roster, Micah Parsons. Only 59 days stand between the Packers’ blockbuster trade and their revenge game versus Rodgers.
Brian Gutekunst’s Micah Parsons trade sends a clear message to Aaron Rodgers
It’s the ultimate form of revenge for Gutekunst, who Rodgers has been on the record of saying he isn’t the biggest fan of, as The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman reminded Pat McAfee earlier this week.
“Aaron infamously told me two years ago that he did not like Brian Gutekunst, straight up. I don’t know how they feel about each other. And that was on the record. I’m not saying anything out of line,” Schneidman told The Pat McAfee Show.
Rodgers certainly had his reasons for not liking Gutekunst; after all, these aren’t the kinds of moves that were being made during the end of Rodgers’ tenure in Green Bay. Instead, Gutekunst was more future-focused and picked up his replacement in Jordan Love.
READ MORE: Wild Micah Parsons-Reggie White comparison makes Packers’ trade even sweeter
Now the Packers have the youngest roster in the NFL with championship aspirations, while Pittsburgh has the second-oldest with the hope of having those same goals. Still, with the veterans filling the Steelers’ roster, the offensive line is woefully inexperienced.
The Steelers’ offensive line has a combined 14 years of experience, but one of those years doesn’t count because right tackle Troy Fautanu missed almost his entire rookie season last year, and another nine belong to left guard Isaac Seumalo. Oh, and Broderick Jones is entering his first season as the left tackle. That’s supposed to be enough to stop a mid-season form Parsons?
The Steelers gave up 49 sacks last season. The only changes up front this offseason were moving Jones to left tackle and Fautanu returning from injury. An inexperienced offensive line and a 41-year-old quarterback are a combination that already had Steelers fans worried, and now Parsons could make an October Sunday night one of the most miserable of the season.
Rodgers has been looking for greener grass since leaving the confines of Lambeau Field. With the addition of Parsons, Green Bay should have no problem giving him a closer look at the grass in Acrisure Stadium — just 59 days after the trade.
