Aaron Rodgers played us.
Hours after setting the internet ablaze with a cryptic Instagram post interpreted by many as foreshadowing his inevitable retirement announcement, the Packers quarterback again refused to show us his cards, talking in circles during a meandering appearance on the Pat McAfee Show. “There will be no decision on my future today,” Rodgers insisted. “I’m just getting my head above the sand now and seeing what’s going on out there.”
Rodgers, who just came out of a 12-day Panchakarma cleanse, spoke at length about “gratitude” and his love and admiration for actress Shailene Woodley. The two reportedly called off their engagement last week, though Rodgers’ comments Tuesday had many on social media wondering if he and Woodley are back together or perhaps never broke up in the first place.
While Rodgers remained noncommittal on both retirement and his future in Green Bay, the four-time MVP did acknowledge “remorse” for how his polarizing remarks on COVID have affected those close to him.
Rodgers claims he’s healthy and still capable of playing at a high level, though spending most of last offseason away from football helped him conquer his “fear” of retirement. “This game’s given me a lot. And I’m very thankful for that,” said Rodgers. “There are a lot of things you take into account, like my health and trying to predict how I’m going to feel in 10 years or 15-20 years and the fears about cognitive degeneration.”
Predictably, social media reacted poorly to the quarterback’s anticlimactic appearance on McAfee, dismissing the much-anticipated interview as a “tease” and typical of Rodgers, a master troll who has made a career out of deceiving the general public with endless red herrings and other breadcrumb clues amounting to nothing.
Rodgers has implied on multiple occasions his NFL future is closely tied to Davante Adams, an impending free agent and candidate for the franchise tag. Among other teams, the 38-year-old has been linked to Denver (Rodgers said, “We’ll see” when asked of this possibility at last week’s Waste Management Open in Phoenix) and Tennessee, with the latter rumor fueled by the house he’s said to be building in suburban Nashville.
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