Before Aaron Rodgers goes into darkness later this month for his four-day isolation retreat to find clarity, the Green Bay Packers quarterback wanted to shed light on one narrative.
No, he hasn’t decided about whether he wants to continue playing football for a 19th NFL season.
As the 39-year-old Rodgers said on ‘The Pat McAfee Show’ on Tuesday he’s ‘still in the art of contemplation.’
It’s the idea that Rodgers wouldn’t retire because he wouldn’t want to share the spotlight in Canton, Ohio, with Tom Brady, who retired earlier this month after 23 seasons and seven Super Bowl championships. A player is first eligible for the Hall of Fame five years after they retire.
With surefire first-ballot Hall of Famer Wisconsin native J.J. Watt also retiring after this season, the 2028 Hall of Fame class is shaping up to be a star-studded affair.
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Aaron Rodgers says Tom Brady’s retirement won’t impact his decision, blames media for creating that narrative
But their decisions don’t have anything to do with his.
‘The idea that I wouldn’t want to share the stage with Tom and J.J. Watt I think is ridiculous,’ Rodgers said this week. ‘It’s already going to be an incredible Hall of Fame class. It’s not even in the thought process. Their decisions don’t impact my own decision, doesn’t make me want to come back so I can have my own stage or whatever. That’s just not how I think. I don’t think like that.’
Rodgers acknowledged this will be a talking point until he makes up his mind, though he blamed the media for this. Rodgers is signed with the Packers for 2023 and Green Bay’s decision-makers have said they want him to return, however he remains uncommitted in the month since the 2022 season ended.
‘That’s what’s going to be out there now until a final decision,’ Rodgers said. ‘It’s a lot of fake news. That’s our media in general, a lot of (expletive).’
Rodgers has respect for Brady, says leaving door open on unretiring should always be open
Brady first announced his retirement last offseason only to change his mind 40 days later. He returned to the Buccaneers for the 2022 season, though it was a frustrating year for him on and off the field. Finally, on Feb. 1, the 45-year-old called it a career again, which he says is ‘for good’ this time and plans to begin a broadcasting career in 2024.
‘I have a ton of respect for him and for what he’s accomplished,’ Rodgers said. ‘He’s one of one, for sure. It seems like this is the final, final (decision). There’s not going to be a change of heart.’
However, Rodgers said athletes should be given the opportunity to change their minds.
‘I think there always needs to be that room,’ Rodgers said. ‘Unless you have some sort of major injury I don’t know if anybody can ever be 100% when they say they’re retired. If some crazy opportunity comes up that you just can’t pass, if you still have the itch, leaving the door open is probably not the worst thing.’
Rodgers said he is now heading to an isolation retreat in the coming weeks where it will be just him alone in his thoughts in a dark room for four days. He plans to do a lot of self-reflection in that time where he hopes to ‘be closer’ to his ‘final, final decision.’