Just a few days after his Green Bay Packers were elimiated in the NFL Playoffs, Aaron Rodgers made his weekly appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show.”
Rodgers, 38, has made a ton of news on that show this season — including some rather hot takes regarding COVID-19.
The 10-time Pro Bowler and future first ballot Hall of Famer wasn’t ready to do that on Tuesday. However, Rodgers did gives us a view of his thought process with the quarterback’s future in Green Bay clearly up in the air.
“Everything is definitely on the table. There are things that seem more plausible or more likely, which I won’t necessarily get into. The most important thing is, first, the commitment to playing and to go into the offseason and training and all that’s stuff,” Rodgers said. “And then after that it’s conversations with my agent and (Packers general manager) Brian (Gutekunst) and then looking at the desires of the team and kind of the mindset moving forward, and then make a decision from there.”
Rodgers enters another offseason in which there’s going to be a lot of talk about him potentially moving on from the Packers after 17 seasons.
Suddenly a divisive figure around the football world, last offseason was defined by rumors that Aaron Rodgers wanted to be traded. He held out of the early part of training camp and wouldn’t commit to the Packers throughout the season.
Fresh off another disappointing playoff exit at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers, speculation continues to heat up that this could be it for Rodgers in Green Bay. The Packers lost by the score of 13-10 in the NFC Divisional Playoffs despite holding a seven-point lead with under 5:00 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
Related: Ideal Aaron Rodgers offseason trade scenarios
Will Aaron Rodgers move on from the Green Bay Packers?
The timeline will be somewhat expedited this offseason. Rodgers made that clear in talking to McAfee on Tuesday.
“I’d like to be respectful of the organization,” Rodgers said on “The Pat McAfee Show.” “One decision that will be upcoming will be obviously Davante and his future with the team. There still is this thing called a franchise tag, which I don’t think ’17’ wants the franchise.
Teams can start placing the franchise tag on impending free agents as early as Feb. 22. The deadline for said tag in March 8. This is likely the timeline we’re looking at when it comes to Aaron Rodgers making a decision. He does not want to leave teammate and star wide receiver Davante Adams hanging.
A lot will go into this decision for the reigning NFL MVP. As he noted, a conversation with Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst has to be in the cards here. Rodgers was previously upset about the direction of the organization, especially after Green Bay selected fellow quarterback Jordan Love in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
We’re not sure where things stand in that regard outside of the fact that Green Bay’s brass would love Rodgers to return for another season.
“Every conversation that I’ve been involved in with Gutey (general manager Brian Gutekunst) and Russ (director of football operations Russ Ball) and Mark (president Mark Murphy), we’re all on the same page there,” LaFleur told reporters as it relates to Rodgers’ status in his season-ending press conference on Monday.
The Packers have not earned a trip to the Super Bowl since they last won the big game following the 2010 season. That represented Rodgers’ first and only title in 17 seasons with Green Bay. This, too, will likely play a role in his decision-making process.