Aaron Rodgers is at a bit of a crossroads in his career right now. After being cut by the New York Jets, he faces a choice: join the Pittsburgh Steelers or call it a day and retire. At 41 years old, Rodgers’ best days are clearly behind him — but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t still start for a team with more modest aspirations.
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Aside from his next team, though, the bigger question is about Rodgers’ legacy. His two-year stint with the Jets was turbulent and has already left a mark on how he’ll be remembered. Does he really want to risk further damage?
At the very least, it’s clear Rodgers cares about how he’ll be remembered. And his recent comments suggest he wants that memory tied to the Green Bay Packers — the team that drafted him in 2005.
Speaking on the YNK Podcast, Rodgers said he’d like to retire in green and yellow — but only under one condition.
“There’s a lot of love for me and how I feel about the team,” Rodgers said. “If I do or I don’t [retire as a Packer], I don’t think it should make a difference, I’m not sure yet. If they approached me about it, I probably would.”
So, as long as they ask him for it, Rodgers sounds open to retiring as a Packer. This is the right team for him to retire with at this point. Rodgers had a chance to become a legend in New York and possibly retire as a Jet, but injuries and short-sighted front office decisions derailed that path.
Now, the four-time MVP recalls that his favorite players growing up went back to their original teams to retire. He might follow the same path.
“I grew up a [49ers] fan, and most of my favorite players retired as a Niner. Jerry Rice, who went to three other teams, came back and retired as a Niner, so I understand the cool thing about it, but if I didn’t do it, would that make a difference in how I’m viewed in the Packers’ eyes?” Rodgers asked himself.
The answer is most likely no, but it depends on who you ask. Nobody can take away the records and achievements Rodgers put into Green Bay’s history books. However, his departure from the front office surely left a bad taste in their mouths.
Still, when the report surfaced on Reddit, users reacted to Rodgers’ statement with much optimism.
“He’s obviously going to sign a 1 day contract and retire as a Packers once he’s done. That was always going to happen unless he had a generational tear as a Jet like Peyton in Denver,” someone suggested.
“Like doing the one-day contract and retire, I don’t see why not. He is only the greatest player in franchise history,” another commented.
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Some even joked that Rodgers will sign a one-day contract and never leave. “He’s going to sign a one-day contract but then never leave. Just going to become a squatter,” one quipped.
And of course, some Bears fans joked that Rodgers’ “one-day” contract will be for a game against them, where he’ll thrash them like usual.
“Why do I feel like that one day will be bears at packers so he can try to beat us one more time…” a Bears fan feared.
Well, now we know that Rodgers is open to the idea. But are the Packers? As previously mentioned, his breakup with Green Bay was ugly. It was a parting of ways that included public tension and disagreements over the team’s construction. Some compare the debacle to Brett Favre’s departure from the same club.
Although Favre was a bit different, as he retired with the Packers before making a comeback and going to the Jets. Eventually, he hung up his cleats with the division rival, the Minnesota Vikings. As Green Bay was disinterested in giving him a proper send-off.
So, will the Packers call in their legend in Rodgers, for one final farewell in front of the Lambeau faithful? Only time will tell, but history says they probably won’t. And they shouldn’t be expected to. Aaron disrespected them on his way out the door. Why should they have to respect him?
