NFL Rumors: Aaron Rodgers Says He’d Like To Finish Career With Packers, Realizes That ‘May Not Be A Reality’
Aaron Rodgers wants to finish his career in Green Bay, but said he’s realizing that decision might now be out of his hands.
The Packers quarterback spoke out about the team’s decision to trade up to the No. 26 overall pick in the recent NFL Draft to snag Utah State signal-caller Jordan Love, who is now seen as a potential replacement for Rodgers down the line. In a conference call with reporters on Friday, Rodgers said he was initially “not thrilled” with how the organization drafted another quarterback, but now understands the reasoning behind it and the need to start planning for the future.
As ESPN reported, the 36-year-old said the pick made him realize that his future isn’t entirely in his control.
“And as much as I understand the organization’s future outlook and wanting to make sure they’re thinking about the team now and down the line — and I respect that — at the same time, I still believe in myself and have a strong desire to play into my 40s. And I’m just not sure how that all works together at this point,” he said.
Rodgers said he was still confident in his abilities, but now said he’s not sure where the end of his career might play out and realized that there were factors out of his control.
“And so my sincere desire to start and finish with the same organization, just as it has with many other players over the years, may not be a reality at this point,” he said.
Rodgers noted that he still plans to play out the remainder of the $134 million contract extension he inked with the Packers in 2018, which locks him down through 2024. The Packers have a chance to save $22.6 million if they were to move Rodgers after the 2021 season but would take on $17.2 million in dead money.
Many noted that the situation playing out in Green Bay appears similar to the start of Rodgers’ NFL journey when the team spent a first-round draft pick on him despite Brett Favre being firmly established as the starting quarterback. Rodgers eventually took over the job and Favre had a messy exit from the organization.
If anyone understands what Aaron Rodgers felt after the Packers took Jordan Love, it's Hall of Famer @BrettFavre.
"To me, it sends a message to Aaron… 'We're preparing for our future first and dealing with our present after.'"#NFLDraft2020 | #GoPackGo pic.twitter.com/cOI4VuPYik
— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) April 29, 2020
As The Inquisitr noted, Favre predicted a similar ending for Rodgers, believing that he will finish his career somewhere other than Green Bay. The former Super Bowl champion said in an interview on SiriusXM that the decision to draft Love shows that the Packers are prioritizing their plans for the future over their plans to compete in the present.
