Confusing tweets coming from Green Bay Packers star Aaron Rodgers’ Twitter account came from teammate Rasul Douglas amid trade talks with the New York Jets.
Rodgers has been tangled in a trade saga between his Packers and the Jets for some time. The 39-year-old has repeatedly said he doesn’t want to hold anyone hostage with his decision as he weighs up retirement, joining the Jets or returning to Green Bay for a 19th season.
However, on Monday evening Rodgers’ Twitter account posted an ambiguous message of “SULLLLLL”, alongside two laughing face emojis. The tweet had fans scrambling to speculate the meaning behind the tweet.
The tweets didn’t come from Rodgers, though. Packers teammate Douglas was behind the message. “SULLLLL” was seemingly a reference to the end of Douglas’ first name in an attempt to prove he really had Rodgers’ phone.
Quote-tweeting Rodgers’ post, cornerback Douglas said: “I told y’all I have his phone.”
Douglas’ tweet comes after he took to his own Twitter account to push back on questions as to why Packers stars hadn’t made public pleas for Rodgers to stay, like some Jets players had done for the veteran to join their team.
The Packers ace responded to the criticism, saying: “Because we have his number. We can actually text him instead of writing it on social media. As our leader he knows how each person on the roster feels about him.”
Rodgers' future is dominating NFL news and the four-time MVP has even been accused of holding the Packers and Jets hostage. The one-time Super Bowl winner's lack of urgency has left NFL insider James Palmer unimpressed. Palmer tore into Rodgers and claimed he is “holding two franchises hostage” after he failed to inform the Jets of his decision ahead of the start of the NFL’s legal tampering period.
Rodgers signed a monster new contract with the Packers last offseason to earn $50.27m (£41.3m) per year through the 2026 season, when he will be 43 years of age. However, his 2023 cap hit if he is traded to a new team is just $15.74m (£12.9m).
