It’s finally happened, folks. Aaron Rodgers’ darkness retreat is complete. The person who runs the facility in Oregon shared on Wednesday that the four-time NFL MVP has left (which feels like a weird thing to announce, but whatever). So, we can assume an answer regarding his potential Jets future could happen soon, right?
Well, that’s anyone’s guess right now. After all, Rodgers said before he left for his retreat that nobody knows a thing about what he wants to do. That’s not stopping people from trying to predict whether the signal-caller will be back with the Green Bay Packers, ask for a trade, or decide to retire.
NFL insider Jeff Darlington shared this on a recent episode of ESPN’s Get Up!:
Update: A "very important Packers source" says that Aaron Rodgers will be back with the #Packers this season, according to @JeffDarlington pic.twitter.com/68kGjgzSd7
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) February 22, 2023
If Rodgers only left his darkness retreat on Wednesday, how could someone within the Packers organization be so sure the quarterback will want to remain in Green Bay? Rodgers has been vocal about how tight his inner circle is, so I doubt whoever this source is could actually be privy to what he’s thinking right now.
Or maybe they are? Who knows at this point? Probably only Rodgers himself.
What jumps out to me from the above video is that this very important Packers source “believes” Rodgers will return to Green Bay for another season. Among the things cited for this reasoning is the commitment the veteran QB made to the organization when he signed a monstrous three-year deal last offseason.
This is all well and good. I’m not going to discount this report. Darlington can only report what he knows from who he trusts. Heck, there’s more than a good chance all of this is true. It’s just hard for me to take it at face value because it’s this source’s “belief”. The way it’s worded doesn’t make it seem like they’ve actually received any legitimate confirmation. And regarding the contract, a lot can change over the course of a calendar year. Relationships can sour quickly, and it can happen out of nowhere.
Regarding the Rodgers-Packers marriage, we’ve been seeing things go south for a while now. And sure, Green Bay is rumored to be open to him coming back, but only if he’s “fully bought in“. The fact that this even has to potentially be said tells us plenty.
With this report, Darlington surmises it’s just time for the Jets to go sign Derek Carr. The long-time Raiders quarterback had a great visit with New York last weekend. The Jets laid it on thick, too, proclaiming Carr would be a Hall of Famer if he came to East Rutherford and won a Lombardi Trophy.
Darlington makes it sound like signing Carr can happen with a snap of the fingers. It can’t, though. More than one report has said Carr plans on taking his time through the free agency process. And with so many teams in need of a veteran quarterback, it’s doubtful he’s going to throw those initial desires into the wind just to sign with the Jets. Even if they’re an “ideal destination” for a signal-caller.
Could the Jets be wasting their time waiting around for Rodgers’ decision? It’s possible, but it’s not like doing so is preventing them from courting and potentially signing Carr. It doesn’t seem like his signing is imminent anywhere. After a positive visit to the facility, you’d have to imagine Jets general manager Joe Douglas addressed a desire to stay in touch regarding his thoughts, plans, and any new developments, too.
Rodgers just emerged from the darkness. The Jets have waited this long to see what the future Hall of Famer wants to do. They might as well wait another few days to officially find out. It’s not like another golden opportunity is passing them by (yet).
Matt Musico can be reached at matt.musico@xlmedia.com and you can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.
