King: NFL Execs Raised Eyebrows About Aaron Rodgers' Darkness Retreat amid Rumors

Aaron Rodgers' off-field interests are reportedly off-putting to some league and team personnel in the NFL.

Peter King of ProFootballTalk reported Rodgers' upcoming four-day darkness retreat was "eyebrow-raising" to a few NFL officials and front-office executives.

Summarizing the reaction from the people he spoke to around the league, King wrote: "I can see why the Packers would consider trading him. Seems like a good person, but he might be more trouble than he's worth."

Rodgers, who is yet to decide whether he will play next season, told The Pat McAfee Show he expects to make a call on his 2023 status after spending four days isolated in darkness. The future Hall of Famer said he could retire despite having nearly $60 million in salary due to him this year.

"For sure; it's a real thing, 100 percent," Rodgers said about potentially retiring (h/t Rob Demovsky of ESPN). "That's why it's going to be important to get through this week and to take my isolation retreat and just to be able to contemplate all things my future and then be able to make a decision that I think is best for me moving forward and in the highest interest of my happiness and then move forward."

While Rodgers' darkness retreat may not be typical quarterback behavior, this can't be a surprise for NFL teams. He said last year he has used hallucinogenics and credited the psychoactive tea ayahuasca for helping him win back-to-back MVPs in 2020 and 2021.

The 39-year-old moves to the beat of his own drum and does not seem interested in what society thinks—NFL general managers included. Odds are teams like the New York Jets and Las Vegas Raiders still won't shy away from him after the retreat, though.