Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is still in the process of deciding on his future in football, but here’s the good news: the decision is coming soon.
After receiving his fourth NFL MVP award on Thursday night in Los Angeles, Rodgers answered a handful of questions from the media in a Zoom session. According to Rob Demovsky of ESPN, Rodgers said he would make a decision “in the near future” and would not “keep a lot of people waiting.”
A final answer could come in a matter of weeks.
Rodgers can either come back to Green Bay for at least another season, retire from the game or request a trade elsewhere. He’s left all options on the table, but he also effusively praised the way the Packers organization responded to his offseason requests and the relationships he’s rebuilt and grown within the team, including with general manager Brian Gutekunst.
Just as importantly, Rodgers said his body feels good, he remains competitively engaged and the sting of the Packers’ divisional round to the 49ers lingers.
Rodgers must decide if he wants to regroup and take another swing at a Super Bowl run in Green Bay in 2022, or if stepping away from the game altogether or attempting to start over with another franchise is his best path forward.
A decision is coming quickly in large part because the team and many players will base their entire offseason plan around what he decides on his future. If Rodgers returns, the Packers can start making salary cap decisions and rebuilding the roster around him.
The new league year and the opening of free agency start on March 16. But teams can start using the franchise tag on Feb. 22, and the tag is in play for All-Pro receiver Davante Adams, so Rodgers’ decision could come within the next two weeks.
After all the suspense and speculation of last summer, a couple of weeks of contemplation away from the game should go fast.
Rodgers told Taylor Bisciotti of NFL Network that a decision is coming “pretty quick.”
“I’ve got some decisions to make for sure,” Rodgers said. “Yesterday was the first day that kind of felt like the offseason…I’m going to enjoy the next couple of weeks. I’ve had good conversations with Green Bay. I’ll do some contemplating and make a decision here pretty quick.”