Aaron Rodgers reveals what it would take for him to return to Packers
August 12, 2022; Santa Clara, California, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) smiles before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Aaron Rodgers has yet to decide whether he will play in the NFL next season, and the star quarterback is once again leaving all of his options open.
Rodgers discussed his future during a Tuesday appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show.” He emphatically stated that he has no interest in being part of a rebuild if that is the direction the Green Bay Packers want to go.
“If there’s a rebuild, I won’t be a part of that,” Rodgers said. “There’s a couple teams maybe who might say, ‘Yeah, we’re rebuilding. We finished at the bottom of the league and obviously we’re gonna start over.’ … Most teams in the middle of the pack aren’t gonna say they’re gonna rebuild, unless they have a crazy (salary) cap situation.”
If the Packers were planning to rebuild, they would probably look to trade Rodgers. They still have former first-round pick Jordan Love waiting patiently on the bench, and Rodgers indicated that he has been given no assurances Green Bay wants him back as a starter in 2023.
Even if the Packers want him to return, Rodgers said he would have to be confident the team can contend for a Super Bowl.
“If they want to go younger and think Jordan’s ready to go, then that might be the way they want to go. If that’s the case and I still want to play, then there’s only one option, right? That’s to play somewhere else,” Rodgers added. “If it’s not and they (still want me to play), then it would have to be the right situation with what the roster looks like and if we can win it all. There’s no point in coming back if you don’t think you can win it all.”
You can hear more of Rodgers’ comments below:
"There's no point in coming back to play football unless you think you can win it all" @AaronRodgers12 #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/2tOSXcZ2MF
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 17, 2023
Rodgers signed a three-year, $150 million extension with the Packers last offseason. Ian Rapoport of NFL Media said recently that Rodgers told the team at the time that he planned to play two or three more seasons. Given how things unfolded a year ago, it is hardly a surprise that Rodgers has once again been noncommittal on his future.
It seemed like Rodgers may have hinted at retirement after Green Bay’s last game of the season, but we probably won’t have an answer for several weeks.