Final June, Aaron Rodgers stated he “definitely” planned to finish his career with the Green Bay Packers. Lower than eight months later, he did not sound fairly as certain.
First issues first, Rodgers should resolve whether or not he needs to play a nineteenth NFL season. He stated Tuesday that he hasn’t reached that call but, a little bit greater than per week after the Packers ended their season with an 8-9 document.
But when his plans do not intersect with what the Packers need, then he cannot say for sure that he would by no means play for an additional group. In an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” that lasted greater than an hour, Rodgers stated he nonetheless thinks he can play at a excessive stage, whether or not it is for the Packers or one other group.
“I believe I can win MVP once more in the precise state of affairs,” Rodgers stated. “Proper state of affairs, is that Inexperienced Bay or is that some place else? I am unsure. However I do not assume you must shut down any alternative. Like I stated in the course of the season, that is bought to be each side really eager to work collectively transferring ahead, and I believe there’s extra conversations available.”
Publicly, Packers coach Matt LaFleur and common supervisor Brian Gutekunst have expressed an curiosity in having Rodgers again. Final week, Gutekunst reiterated that the three-year, $150 million contract they gave to Rodgers final March was a dedication that “wasn’t actually for this yr.”
Rodgers took a number of days final week to satisfy with Gutekunst, LaFleur and different Packers workers members earlier than he left Inexperienced Bay and returned to California for the offseason. Whereas Rodgers stated he “had all of the conversations I wished to have,” he didn’t point out whether or not the Packers informed him whether or not they deliberate to reload or rebuild.
“I believe no participant needs to be a part of any kind of rebuild; I stated that years in the past,” Rodgers stated. “Reloads are quite a lot of enjoyable since you really feel such as you’re shut, you are solely a pair guys away. This sport is about relationships, it is concerning the gamers you play with and depend on even when they do not perhaps present up large within the stat ebook.”
A number of of Rodgers’ closest buddies — David Bakhtiari, Randall Cobb, Mason Crosby, Allen Lazard, Marcedes Lewis and Robert Tonyan — have unsure futures with the group, whether or not it is as a result of they are going to be free brokers or as a result of they’ve contracts which may have to be renegotiated.
“There’s quite a lot of attention-grabbing names that we’ll see if there’s need to re-sign sure guys which can be glue guys within the locker room, [and that] can be an attention-grabbing dialog available,” Rodgers stated. “Take all that away, I nonetheless must mentally get to some extent the place I really feel 100% locked in and able to play a nineteenth season. And if I do, then we’ll rock and roll and determine that out. If I do not, then we’ll go into the jungles for some time.”
“I nonetheless must mentally get to some extent the place I really feel 100% locked in and able to play a nineteenth season. And if I do, then we’ll rock and roll and determine that out. If I do not, then we’ll go into the jungles for some time.”
Aaron Rodgers
Rodgers, 39, is coming off one among his worst seasons. He had nearly as many interceptions (12) as he did within the earlier three seasons mixed (13). After back-to-back MVP seasons, Rodgers threw for the fewest yards (3,695) in any season wherein he performed a minimum of 15 video games. He didn’t have a single 300-yard passing sport. Since taking up as a starter, he had by no means earlier than had a season with fewer than three 300-plus yard video games. He additionally handled a damaged thumb and accidents to his ribs and a knee in the course of the season.
The Packers missed the playoffs for the primary time since 2018. They misplaced 20-16 to the Detroit Lions within the regular-season finale when a win would’ve gotten Inexperienced Bay into the postseason. Had the Packers been eradicated earlier than the finale, they could have thought-about shutting down Rodgers to present third-year backup Jordan Love an prolonged look.
“In the event that they need to go youthful and assume Jordan’s able to go, then that may be the best way they need to go,” Rodgers stated. “And if that is the case and I nonetheless need to play, then there’s just one choice, proper? And that is to play some place else. If it isn’t and they’re like, ‘No, no, no, we nonetheless need you to play,’ and this and that, then it’d should be the precise state of affairs with the roster that appears like we will win all of it as a result of there is no level in coming again in the event you do not assume you’ll be able to win all of it.”
Rodgers gave no timeline for a choice on whether or not he’ll play in 2023. He stated that he deliberate to make one other look on McAfee’s present subsequent Tuesday however that he will not have any replace on his standing for the upcoming season then.
“They don’t seem to be urgent for any kind of particular reply, and I am not mentally or emotionally at that time to present one,” Rodgers stated. “If I am requested about it, I will reply in honesty. However this isn’t going to be one thing the place I am going to answer a bunch of inquiries about, ‘What are you considering this week?’ Or ‘What are you considering subsequent week?’ It is get away from it mentally and emotionally, after which bodily as your physique begins to return again after a couple of weeks of TLC, then I believe you are in a greater mind set to ponder your future.”
