Aaron Rodgers played his first 18 NFL seasons with the Green Bay Packers, serving as the team's starter from 2008 to '22 after sitting behind Brett Favre for his first three years with the franchise. He put together an ironclad Hall of Fame résumé as the Packers quarterback, though his time in Green Bay ended in strife as he was ultimately traded to the New York Jets.
Rodgers's final years with the Packers were clouded by uncertainty over his future after the team used a first-round pick on his successor Jordan Love in the 2020 NFL draft, a move deeply reminiscent of the one the franchise made in 2005, drafting Rodgers while Favre still appeared to have some prime years left. Rodgers would go on to win back-to-back league MVPs in '20 and '21, but each offseason was filled rumors about trade requests and potential retirements. The speculation hasn't stopped through his years with the Jets, and now an offseason in which he appears destined to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have been waiting on his decision for months.
So far, he hasn't made a public commitment to playing for Mike Tomlin, or any coach, this year. During an appearance on a live edition of the Ya Neva Know podcast published Friday (around the 1:10:00 mark below), he was asked by a Packers fan about the potential to sign with Green Bay in order to retire as a member of the franchise when he does decide to call it a career.
"You know, I've thought about that and I don't understand what the reason for that is," Rodgers admitted. "At the same time, I grew up a Niner 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 sounds pretty secure in his Green Bay legacy, whether or not he opts for a ceremonial retirement with the club.
"When I retire, in four years I'm going to go into the Packer Hall of Fame. May or may not get my number retired—whether they do or not that's fine. But in four years I'll be in the Packer Hall of Fame. ... There's a lot of love from me and how I feel about the team. If i do or if I don't, I don't think it should make a difference. I'm not sure yet. If they approach me about it, I probably would."
After a few awkward years at the end of his run with the Packers, it appears that he considers those fences mended, and is even open to a completely ceremonial signing back with the team, something that didn't seem particularly likely given the icy relationship the two sides shared ahead of the New York trade in '23.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Aaron Rodgers Addresses Possibility of Retiring As Member of Packers.
