Could Aaron Rodgers be headed out of Green Bay?
Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers was under regular pressure during a 31-26 loss to Tampa Bay in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021, at Lambeau Field. Credit: AP/Mike Roemer
Aaron Rodgers walked off that sacred turf at Lambeau Field on Sunday not knowing if he'd ever be back on it as a Packers quarterback.
"A lot of guys’ futures that are uncertain, myself included," Rodgers said after the 31-26 loss to the Buccaneers in the NFC Championship Game.
That uncertainty has been the backdrop of this entire season for Rodgers and the Packers ever since they used a first-round draft pick to select quarterback Jordan Love in April.
Rodgers had one of his best seasons, leading the Packers to the top seed in the NFC and likely winning a third MVP award, and Love did not play a single snap.
But reading tea leaves — such as Rodgers’ rare thank-you shout-out to reporters on his Zoom conference Sunday and his very deliberate phrasing when it comes to his future, including this past week, calling it a "beautiful mystery" — leaves one thinking the unthinkable, that Rodgers’ tenure in Green Bay may have come to an end.
Rodgers has three years remaining on his contract, so there are financial implications to everything that is decided in the coming months. And there is at least one high-ranking person in the Packers' organization who wants Rodgers to come back.
"I sure as hell hope so," coach Matt LaFleur said after the loss. "I mean, the guy’s the MVP of this league. He’s the heart and soul of our football team. So hell yeah, he better be back here. He’s our leader."
If Rodgers’ time with the Packers does end, it could be the second time in two weeks that Tom Brady punctuates the career of a Super Bowl-winning quarterback in the city where he is adored with a playoff victory. Last week, Brady and the Bucs beat the Saints in what is expected to be Drew Brees’ last game before he announces his retirement.
The loss, Rodgers said, left "a gutting feeling in your stomach." He even added a sound effect — "ugh" — to illustrate his disgust.
Though keenly aware of the uncertainty that looms, he was not ready to make any projections or statements about his future or that of the Packers on Sunday.
"There’s a lot of unknowns going into this offseason now," he said. "I’m going to have to take some time away, for sure, and clear my head and just kind of see what’s going on with everything. But it’s pretty tough right now, especially thinking about the guys that may or may not be here next year. There’s always change. That’s the only constant in this business."
Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.
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