Could Aaron Rodgers be doing the Chicago Bears a favor?

The NFL is in the middle of a vote on the potentially new collective bargaining agreement. Could Aaron Rodgers be doing the Chicago Bears a favor by alienating more than half the league?

The Chicago Bears and Ryan Pace are patiently waiting for the players to vote on the proposed collective bargaining agreement (CBA). There are many changes that will take place if the new CBA is approved. Some of the biggest changes have been laid out already for you here.

Aaron Rodgers is the NFLPA representative for the Green Bay Packers. He basically represents the team during Player Association meetings and more. Rodgers was able to hear about the talking points before the agreed-upon CBA was even created. He was vocal immediately and sent multiple messages but did not get any responses.

Rodgers went on to say the following on a Wisconsin ESPN radio show:

"That’s probably the most disheartening thing. This is a society we live in now that’s so distracted by the swiping world of apps and social media. I don’t know. Do guys really care about this stuff? Unfortunately, or fortunately, however you look at it, for the people wanting to push this deal through so badly, that’s kind of a win because nobody’s critically looking at this or thinking about it. They’re just like, ‘Oh, what’s my salary going to be? Oh, OK, cool.’ Not like, ‘Are we taking care of former players? What kind of additional player risks are we taking on? What are we getting in return for that?’"

I wonder, even though his intentions may be good, is he actually alienating his teammates and even possibly future teammates? Rodgers has been openly frustrated by the lack of response he received to a 2,000-word email regarding his thoughts on why the CBA should not be passed. He has called out his teammates and the league saying he does not believe players are taking this seriously or thinking critically. Could this rub some of the other players the wrong way?

Rodgers has already been labeled a bit of a diva. One could only wonder if that helps the Chicago Bears and the rest of the NFC North. Players could choose to play elsewhere. It is not like Rodgers and the Packers have had the success as the New England Patriots. Players will put aside more differences to go play for the Patriots, they might not feel the same when considering similar contract offers between the Packers and another team in the league.

The new CBA would impact the minimum wage salary earners and the non-star players the most. Many of the vocal anti-CBA guys have already had big paydays. These guys are okay with holding out but watch them also be the first to cross back over the picket line.

Ryan Fitzpatrick has said the exact opposite as Rodgers by the way. He explained why he voted yes to the new CBA. He spoke about how players went to the NFLPA with demands and requests and to him, it seems the league has met most of them. He was also voting yes to increased salaries. The league is not going to a 50-50 split as many players would like, but they are going to 48% for the players and possibly 48.5% if the league moves to a 17-game schedule.

This is all speculation and I might be reaching here. At some point, players could care less about these negotiations and what Rodgers said. Maybe it only affects this free agency period opposed to all future years. That said, it would be great if Rodgers continues to build on his diva reputation. It would be great for the Chicago Bears at least. The Bears and Packers will forever be rivals and seeing the Packers fail miserably is just an added plus to any season.