Aaron Rodgers on Packers Contract Situation: 'Nothing's Really Changed'

Aaron Rodgers' mind hasn't changed about his future: he's still uncertain if he's part of the Green Bay Packers' long-term plans.

"Nothing's really changed. My future, a lot of it, is out of my control," Rodgers said on the Pat McAfee Show. "That's why I used a phrase like 'a beautiful mystery' because it is quite uncertain which direction things will go. All I can do is play my best, and I feel like last year I did do that. I may have thrown a wrench in some timelines that may have been thought about or desired."

Rodgers began questioning his place in the Packers hierarchy last offseason when the team used its first-round pick to select quarterback Jordan Love over a more immediate-impact player. Coupled with the selections of running back A.J. Dillon (Round 2) and tight end Josiah Deguara (Round 3), the Packers used their first three picks on backups in 2020.

Many pointed out the irony of Rodgers being frustrated with the Packers' long-term thinking, given that his arrival in Green Bay came under similar circumstances. While he had to wait three years sitting under Brett Favre before getting his chance, modern NFL teams don't typically waste three years of a rookie quarterback's contract.

Rodgers, one could argue, was being pragmatic about his future while still expressing frustration that a playoff team was not acquiring instant contributors. The 37-year-old responded with one of the best individual seasons of his career, winning his third MVP award in the process.

After the Packers were eliminated from the 2021 postseason, Rodgers maintained he was unsure about his future with the team. That uncertainty has only been exacerbated this offseason, with the Packers choosing not to extend or restructure his contract. The team could trade him next offseason and save $22.6 million on its cap.

“I said last year I didn’t know if that was actually possible to be able to finish there,” Rodgers said Friday on SportsCenter. “I still feel that’s kind of where we’re at. I don’t know that a lot of that is in my hands. I guess we’ll just kind of see as we go.”