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Aaron Rodgers on Future with Packers: I'll 'Figure Things out in a Couple Weeks'
July 10, 2021
Green Bay Packers star Aaron Rodgers remained coy on the topic of his future heading into the 2021 NFL season.
"I’m going to enjoy the hell out of this week," he said regarding the topic during the broadcast of the American Century Championship. "And then I’m going to get back to working out, and figure things out in a couple weeks."
That's at least more insight than he provided while competing in Capital One's The Match:
The nine-time Pro Bowler didn't attend mandatory minicamp, which inevitably fueled speculation again. By his own admission, though, he hasn't made any final conclusions regarding his playing status.
At the very least, the three-time MVP seems to have committed to at least playing in the upcoming year. He could've opted out with no financial penalty but chose not to do so before the July 2 deadline passed.
Depending on the Packers' resolve, holding out or retiring altogether could be a costly endeavor for Rodgers since a portion of his $57.5 million signing bonus would become fair game.
Assuming neither of those options is on the table anymore, letting the Packers twist in the wind is the most obvious way to continue applying some pressure to the front office.
The fraught dynamic between the two sides has been simmering for some time. Trading up to select a quarterback in the first round when you have a future Hall of Famer isn't a spur-of-the-moment decision.
During an interview with Kenny Mayne on SportsCenter, Rodgers spoke about a wider philosophical divide with the Packers:
He also called his MVP season a "wrench" in the franchise's plans to hand the offense over to Jordan Love.
In May, The Athletic's Matt Schneidman reported the Packers "would trade Rodgers if they believed he was truly committed to never playing for them again and wanted to get draft picks and players in return." That Green Bay hasn't traded him appears to signal the front office's belief he'll eventually come back despite everything that has transpired.