ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter seems to think Aaron Rodgers' days in Green Bay are numbered.
The only question is whether Rodgers will retire or play elsewhere, Schefter said on "SportsCenter" on Friday.
And if Rodgers does indeed return for a 19th season, Schefter sees only one team as a fit for the four-time MVP -- the New York Jets.
"My sense is there continues to be more and more signs about him leaving Green Bay," Schefter told host Hanna Storm. "And I think in the end, my sense is ultimately it will come down to whether he wants to play elsewhere, which would be really the New York Jets, or whether he wants to retire. To me, those are the two most logical options and the two most likely scenarios here. But again, we have not heard from Aaron Rodgers himself.
"We have heard the Packers talk about Jordan Love and how much belief they have in him and how much progress he's made. And I think he's their quarterback of the future here, clearly. And they continue to wait for the decision from Aaron Rodgers, who knows that at some point in time, he's said the Packers have had conversations about him with other teams. And that's why I believe that it's going to either be the New York Jets or retirement in the end. And we'll see how this shakes out, but there's nothing yet from Aaron Rodgers. It has to come soon."
Schefter's thoughts on Rodgers' parting ways with the Packers comes as little surprise. The apparent decoupling has been reported by multiple sources for weeks, with Green Bay seemingly ready to turn things over to fourth-year signal caller Jordan Love.
But while the Jets have long been thought to be a logical landing spot for Rodgers -- Gang Green reportedly checked in with Packers brass about Rodgers' availability -- Schefter's suggestion that it's New York or bust for Rodgers would seem to be new.
Perhaps that, too, isn't especially surprising, though. Rodgers is owed $59.5 million in 2023, and for all his greatness, is coming off something of a down year after consecutive MVPs in 2020 and '21. On top of that, Rodgers' next employer would also be acquiring his seemingly perennial limbo period during which he weighs retirement.
There may not be as many teams lined up to acquire a player with that type of price tag -- both in trade compensation and salary -- as well as what some might consider baggage. Peter King of NBC Sports, for one, has previously reported that many teams think Rodgers is "more trouble than he's worth."
On Friday, Schefter seemed to express exhaustion over the uncertainty surrounding Rodgers and its trickle-down effect on the NFL offseason:
"We are basically under two weeks until the start of the league year. We await his word and at some point, something's going to have to happen here because Derek Carr's waiting to see where's Aaron Rodgers wants to go. These teams need decisions from the quarterbacks and everything right now is being hung up while we wait to hear from No. 12."
Rodgers, for his part, seems to be aware of that line of criticism, acknowledging the "drama" narrative during a recent podcast appearance.
"If you don't like it, and you think it's drama, and you think I'm being a diva or whatever, then just tune it out. That's fine. But this is my life."
While Rodgers provided little indication as to whether he plans to continue playing, he did seem to hint at a disconnect with Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, and also suggested that a trade would provide "plenty of inspiration" to prove wrong those who think he's "done" as a productive player.
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