The San Francisco 49ers met a crossroads of sorts when it came to their quarterback situation this offseason.
With Aaron Rodgers reportedly unhappy with his situation in Green Bay, the 49ers picked up the phone to inquire about the future Hall of Famer's availability. A chain of communication decisions led the 49ers to ask, point blank, if they could make a deal for Rodgers. They were promptly rebuffed, eventually trading up in April's draft to select Trey Lance.
The 49ers and Packers meet this weekend in a rematch of the 2019 season's NFC Championship Game, a blowout that saw San Francisco advance to Super Bowl LIV. It's a reunion, of course, but also has another layer of intrigue thanks to the offseason discussions regarding Rodgers, who has since mended fences in Green Bay and has the Packers sitting at 1-1 after two weeks.
According to Packers coach Matt LaFleur, there's no bad blood between the two parties.
"Kyle's a great friend of mine," LaFleur said Wednesday, via ESPN. "I haven't talked to him in a while, [but] it's just part of the business [and] you start kind of getting into your own routine. But yeah, absolutely, I hold no ill will toward him."
It would be negligent for the 49ers, a team that believes they're poised to contend immediately, to not check in on the availability of Rodgers. Kicking the tires is nothing more than a team doing its due diligence in a never-ending pursuit of success.
"It is what it is," LaFleur said of the 49ers' dalliance with Rodgers. "Like, I understand. He's trying to do whatever he thinks he needs to do for his football team. He's got a responsibility to everybody in that organization, and if there's an opportunity, I don't hold that against him. So that will have no effect on our relationship."
So that takes care of that. Sunday's meeting will be about winning on the field -- not settling any offseason disputes over a highly coveted talent.
