Coming off what might be his least-celebrated and most meaningless victory yet, being that it was on the golf course during The Match, Aaron Rodgers touched on his retirement thoughts, both in the past and in the present.
Unlike Tom Brady, who is set to fulfill his goal of playing at the age of 45, Rodgers at 38 years old, says he “can see the end coming”. Here’s what the 10-time Pro Bowl quarterback shared in an interview after The Match on Wednesday.
“I think about it all the time, and I resonate with what Tom said about the mindset of 55-45. You know, when you commit, you’re 100%. But the older you get, the interests change and the grind, I think wears on you a little bit more and the football part, that’s the easy part. That’s the joy. It’s the other stuff that wears on you and makes you think about life after football. Tommy obviously set the bar so high with playing so many years, but I can definitely see the end coming.”
Aaron rodgers on his playing future
Brady also spoke of being 55% confident he wanted to return during his drama-filled offseason that saw him retire, then un-retire just two months later. But like Brady, once Rodgers knew he wanted to return a year ago, he was all-in.
A year after the drama, Rodgers has his feet set in Green Bay
Despite rumors of retirement last offseason, Rodgers didn’t mess around this year, signing a new $150 million contract extension to keep him in Green Bay through 2026.
Last season at this time, the general public still didn’t know whether AR12 would suit up for his 17th season in the NFL. A year later, after winning his second consecutive MVP award, there’s no question, Rodgers is taking the field with the Packers for an 18th year. Yet as Rodgers mentions, the end of his playing days might come sooner than we think, or at least sooner than Tom Brady as far as total years played.
Who knows? Maybe then we’ll see Rodgers back on the golf course, trying his hand at another competitive sport.
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