Aaron Rodgers wants to play into his 40s, will not rule out leaving Packers

The Green Bay Packers may be in the early stages of thinking about life after Aaron Rodgers, but that does not mean the Pro Bowl quarterback intends to retire anytime soon.

Rodgers, 36, told reporters in a conference call on Friday that he still plans to play into his 40s.

Rodgers, age 36: "The goal is to play into my 40s. That hasn't changed."

— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) May 15, 2020

If Rodgers follows through with that timeline, the Packers could end up having to make an uncomfortable decision. They traded up to draft former Utah State star Jordan Love in the first round of the draft this year, and you don’t do that for a player you envision as a backup quarterback five years down the road. Rodgers will have just turned 40 when his current contract with Green Bay expires after the 2023 season, so that will be the latest point at which the team has to choose between him and Love.

Rodgers also indicated that he would still like to finish his career with the Packers, but he is not ruling out playing elsewhere.

Will Aaron Rodgers finish his career in GB? Rodgers reinforced the adage "you can only control what you can control… what I can control is how I play."

Said if he can "play at a high level and my body feels great, then there's other guys that have gone on & played elsewhere."

— Lily Zhao (@LilySZhao) May 15, 2020

Anyone who watched what unfolded with Tom Brady and the New England Patriots knows you cannot rule out Rodgers playing for another team. While Rodgers has had some injuries in recent years, Brady and Drew Brees have proven that NFL quarterbacks can still play at a high level into their 40s. There’s no reason to think Rodgers can’t do the same if he maintains his passion for the game.

Brett Favre seems to think Rodgers is all but certain to leave Green Bay now, but the Packers may be hoping their decision to draft Love motivates Rodgers the same way the Patriots motivated Brady when they drafted Jimmy Garoppolo back in 2014. Brady went on to lead New England to three Super Bowls after that. If trading up to draft Love lights a fire under Rodgers, it will have been worth it for the Packers.