Aaron Rodgers is signed with the Packers through the 2019 season, but he hopes to remain in Green Bay long after his current deal expires.
Rodgers was a guest on the latest episode of Bill Simmons’ new HBO show “Any Given Wednesday,” and he was asked about guys like Kevin Durant leaving their teams to chase a championship. While he didn’t criticize those who make similar decisions to the one Durant made, Rodgers spoke about how much he respects guys who play their entire career with the same team.
“Two of my favorite players from my sports watching growing up, they recently retired,” he said, per Zac Jackson of Pro Football Talk. “One was Derek Jeter with the Yankees and the other was Kobe Bryant. And then Tim Duncan just retired [this week] and that’s a great example too.
“Their legacy, I think it’s made in those later years. Derek is one of the best shortstops ever and one of the best Yankees ever. Kobe is one of the greatest Lakers ever. Tim is one of the best power forwards ever and he won all those championships [in one place]. They stayed with the same team. They stuck it out. I think there’s a lot to be said about kind of finishing your legacy with one team. I hope I’m lucky enough to be able to do that.”
Durant wanted to chase a championship while he’s still in his prime, so he signed with the team that gives him the best chance to win a ring. The sentiment from Rodgers is nice, but there are other guys who don’t have a choice. One of them would be the man who Rodgers replaced, though he would not take the bait when asked about Brett Favre.
Favre had three choices when the Packers handed Rodgers the reins — retire, ride the bench or play elsewhere. He could have handled things better, but the fans recently proved they aren’t holding a grudge. In some cases, the team you spent your entire career with doesn’t want you anymore.
