WATCH: Packers QB Aaron Rodgers discusses potential retirement
Aaron Rodgers dominated offseason storylines for all the wrong reasons and before the 2021 campaign kicked off, almost every talking head and “insider” believed this was the reigning NFL MVP’s last season under center for the Green Bay Packers.
Flash forward.
With just one game remaining in the regular season, the Pack sit atop of the NFC as the No. 1 seed in the playoffs. Anyone that has watched Aaron Rodgers play this season can see it. He’s having the most fun he’s had in his career, and while injuries and COVID protocols have caused adversity, the Lombardi Trophy is a very real possibility for Rodgers and his squad.
In his weekly appearance on Pat McAfee’s podcast — like usual — Rodgers pulled down the curtain and gave a candid response when asked if he’s seriously considered hanging it up sometime soon.
“At some point, the ride stops and you’ve gotta get off. I think you still want to be able to move, still be able to walk, still have cognitive brain function and all those are important,” Aaron Rodgers added.
“I know it’s hard because people want to talk about my future and what I want to do, and I respect that, but for me, I can’t have two feet in the past living in nostalgia, or two feet in the future. I’ve just tried to live in the present and I said last year how special that was to me. A lot of that is just the mindset, the perspective. And what you focus on is where your energy flows. My focus has been on this team and these guys and the relationships I have with the coaches, the front office, the equipment managers and the trainers and the cafeteria staff. All those people that make it easier to live with a little more gratitude and joy each day.”
Aaron Rodgers on potential life after football
While the Packers’ quarterback has an uncertain future as of now, his team appears to be in prime position to make another run at a Super Bowl, which could easily play a factor in his next steps after this season.
McAfee hinted at a potential broadcasting career for Rodgers after football — and the Pack QB has been linked to jeopardy, commercials, etc., but he shut that notion down.
“Not really, to be honest,” Aaron Rodgers said before going into the respect he has for the craft and sports journalists while making a point to pay a tribute to legendary broadcaster Al Michaels.
Then, the Packers’ signal-caller showed his raw humanity and alluded to a potential future without football, noting how long he’s been committed to the game and the grind that comes with it.
“I have also given a lot of my life to this game,” Rodgers added. “I didn’t start playing until eighth grade, obviously played four in high school, three in college and my 17 in the NFL. I’ve really been trying to –this year– just stay in the present as much as possible.”
One thing is for certain. This is going to be one hell of a playoff ride to witness as Aaron Rodgers chases his second Super Bowl victory, no matter what his future holds.