Before the Jets officially landed Aaron Rodgers in a trade from the Green Bay Packers, the four-time NFL MVP discussed how close he was to choosing retirement. But now, it doesn’t seem like he’s going to hang up his spikes anytime soon. Unless something magical happens for Gang Green in 2023, at least.
The thought of retirement for Rodgers shouldn’t have been surprising. He’s accomplished just about everything you’d want on a football field. And even with a lot of money owed to him, it’s not like the 39-year-old would ever have to “work” another day in his life if he didn’t want to. But a chance to get a fresh start in New York with the goal of getting the Jets back to the promised land has seemingly revitalized him.
It’s not like the price to acquire Rodgers was cheap. New York and Green Bay swapped 2023 first-round selections, while the Jets sent three other future draft picks to the Packers. The veteran signal-caller is aware of that. A big question since his arrival has been how long he plans to stick around before riding off into the sunset.
During an appearance on a recent episode of ESPN New York 98.7FM’s DiPietro & Rothenberg Show, Rodgers addressed that question quite directly (h/t JetsXFactor):
I’m not a big cliche guy. Most people would say, ‘Let’s take this one day at a time, one year at a time.’ But the Jets gave up a lot for me. So, to just play one year I think would be a disservice. Now if that one year turns out to be a magical year, who knows?
More than that it’s how my body feels. And I’ve made some changes this offseason with training and diet. I haven’t eaten a lot of bananas or fruit in a while, or anything processed. I’ve been kind of just sticking to a lot of protein and fats. Body feels good, joints feel good. Changed up some training regimen stuff with my incredible trainers out west.
You know, body feels really, really good. I feel like I’m in a good spot. As you get older, sometimes you wake up in the morning and you’re thinking, ‘Man, why does this hurt? Why does my knee hurt? Why does my shoulder hurt?’, but the last couple months, my body has been feeling really good. Now, talk to me in three, four months, we’ll see how it feels, but the way it feels now, I think I could play a number of years.
There are obviously some variables and caveats thrown in here. However, Aaron Rodgers’ intentions appear clear. Outside of extenuating circumstances, he’s planning on sticking around for more than just this season.
You can reach Matt Musico at matt.musico@xlmedia.com. You can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.
