Rodgers 'definitely' plans to retire with Packers
Aaron Rodgers has no intentions of leaving the Green Bay Packers. Ever.
The superstar quarterback said Tuesday he "definitely" plans to finish his career in Green Bay, according to ESPN's Rob Demovsky.
Rodgers said he isn't sure when he'll call it a career and plans to take a season-by-season approach in evaluating his future.
"If you say I'm for sure playing two more, three years and then you have a magical season that ends with a championship and think that that might be the best way to ride off, I don't want to commit to something," Rodgers said. "You say, I'm only playing one more year and you have a bitter taste in your mouth and still got the drive and the passion to play one or two more years - I just don't want to get pigeonholed into it."
He added: "I'm focused on this season. I'm never gonna drag it out in the offseason. The conversations I've had with (general manager) Brian (Gutekunst) have been very honest and direct, and that's not going to change. We'll sit down after the season, hopefully after a championship, and figure out what the next step is."
The four-time NFL MVP recently acknowledged he thinks about retirement "all the time."
"This is my 18th season. Of course you think about the next chapter and what's next in your life all the time. It doesn't mean you're not fully invested," the 38-year-old clarified Tuesday, according to The Athletic's Matt Schneidman.
Rodgers, who restructured his contract and signed a three-year extension worth $150 million this offseason, has left his future with Green Bay open-ended multiple times. He considered leaving last offseason due to his disappointment with the front office and skipped mandatory minicamp before returning for training camp.
Green Bay's passing attack will have a different look this year. The club traded star wide receiver Davante Adams this offseason before drafting three wideouts, including second-rounder Christian Watson. The Packers also signed veteran Sammy Watkins, adding to a wide receiver depth chart headlined by Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb.
"The offense has to change," Rodgers said, per Demovsky. "Last year, when you have a guy who's that talented, it's probably not an exaggeration to say that 80% of the plays in the passing game were designed specifically for (Adams), so we're obviously gonna do some things a little different."
Rodgers, the reigning back-to-back MVP, has shown no signs of slowing down, but the Packers have piled up disappointing defeats in recent years. Green Bay lost to the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round in January to fall short of an NFC Championship Game appearance for a third consecutive season.
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