What did Packers star Aaron Rodgers say about his decision on retirement?
As one of the best QBs around, it’s understandable that everyone wants to know about your future. To hear Aaron Rodgers tell it, we’ll get the answer after the Super Bowl.
With his prime years behind him - he’s still among the best - the Packers star has been pressed intensely on what he intends to do next season. With speculation about a potential trade starting to intensify, the defending league MVP has indicated that he will wait until the big game has come and gone, before taking a decision.
Aaron Rodgers addresses his future
Though it wasn’t a stop the presses moment, Arron Rodgers did give us some insight as to where he’s at on retirement, during a recent appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show.” Speaking about a timeline for a decision on whether or not he will continue to play football, the four-time NFL MVP indicated that while he hasn’t made a firm choice, he will likely do so in the coming weeks.
“I haven’t been thinking about much of anything to be honest, and it’s been great,” the Packers quarterback said Tuesday from the Pebble Beach Pro-Am. “It’s going to be a little bit more time for my decision. I feel confident that in a couple weeks, I’ll feel definitely more strongly about one of two decisions.” Interestingly, Rodgers also mentioned the fact that any decision won’t be announced before the completion of the NFL season, which is to say not until after the Superbowl which is scheduled for February 12th. “I can’t make a decision until after the Super Bowl at the earliest, because there’s still football going on,” Rodgers said.
If he decides to continue, will Aaron Rodgers do so with the Packers?
One thing that Rodgers made clear, was the fact that the Packers will be the first to know once he’s made a decision about his future. This of course is curious, given that the Packers have now made it clear that they intend to move forward without Rodgers on the roster. Rodgers previously said he would have no “animosity” if the franchise decided to trade him after an 18-year career with them. On the other hand, he also admitted that he has “dreamed about retiring as a Packer.”
In terms of where Rodgers could end up, there has been talk of his close relationship with former Packers offensive coordinator and present New York Jets offensive coordinator, Nathaniel Hackett, but Rodgers himself seemed to put the speculation to bed saying, “Love Hack, Hack’s my guy, and Megan and the kids, they’re really special to me. ...I think we really bonded when he was in Green Bay. We all have certain coaches that have meant a lot to us over the years. ...Obviously Nathaniel’s one of those guys.” Incidentally, Rodgers also gave credit to a number of other assistant coaches with whom he has worked during his career such as Packers quarterbacks coach Tom Clements, Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy and Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, who served as Packers offensive assistant from 2012-2017. In the end, if there’s a takeaway to be had here it’s that the back-to-back MVP is not closed to continuing - it appears he wants to - but it would have to require the right circumstances i.e., someone with whom he has a bond. Watch this space.