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Sports

A tricky Aaron Rodgers pursuit by Jets could take awhile

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The Jets are in the market for a quarterback … again. This is the first in a three-part series exploring their options this offseason. The first part is a look at trading for Packers star Aaron Rodgers.

Jets fans are suddenly searching for clues on “The Pat McAfee Show,” researching ayahuasca and watching a lot of “Jeopardy!” hoping for signs that Aaron Rodgers will be their next quarterback.

Those fans may need to R-E-L-A-X.

It could be a while before Rodgers’ future becomes clear and whether that involves a trade to Gang Green. Rodgers and the Jets made sense in many ways, but there remain some big questions: Would Rodgers want to play for the Jets, and would team owner Woody Johnson be willing to pick up the $59.465 million tab for Rodgers to play in 2023?

Johnson said after the season that he “absolutely” would be willing to spend on a veteran quarterback this offseason if that is what general manager Joe Douglas and head coach Robert Saleh tell him they want to do. Johnson, however, may not have had a price tag of close to $60 million in mind.

Aaron Rodgers
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As the Jets ponder their quarterback options this offseason, the Rodgers question hovers over it. The possibility of adding a future Hall of Famer may be too good to pass up.

At the moment, that is all just speculation. The Packers have not indicated they are willing to trade Rodgers. And Rodgers has not said whether he intends to play in 2023, and if he does play, whether he wants to be traded. He has provided very few clues about what he plans to do. It is the third straight season of trying to read the tea leaves with Rodgers.

“All the other ideas about [a] trade and whatnot, that’s all conjecture until I decide what I want to do moving forward for myself,” Rodgers said on “The Pat McAfee Show” this week.

The conjecture got a boost last weekend when ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported it is a “real possibility” both the Packers and Rodgers are thinking about a trade this offseason.

The Jets have been connected to the Rodgers sweepstakes through logic. After their disaster this past season with Zach Wilson, Saleh and Douglas need a “win now” quarterback in 2023. Rodgers fits the bill. Johnson has shown he likes to acquire shiny toys. Notably, he traded for Brett Favre, Rodgers’ predecessor at Green Bay, in 2008.

Could Johnson swing another deal with the Packers for an aging superstar?

Broadway Aaron

The first domino to fall will be whether Rodgers is willing to come to the Jets. Rodgers does not have a no-trade clause, but no team would trade for him without assurances that he wants to play for them. Some believe he would not be comfortable under the New York spotlight. The Jets certainly are in a better place than they have been to attract a player of Rodgers’ pedigree. They have a top-five defense. They have young weapons such as Garrett Wilson, Breece Hall and Elijah Moore. And they are expected to revamp the offensive line this offseason.


The Jets are in the process of hiring an offensive coordinator, and Nathaniel Hackett, who worked with Rodgers in Green Bay and whom the quarterback has spoken highly of, is one of the candidates. Hackett’s presence, however, does not guarantee anything. Just ask the Broncos. When they hired Hackett as their head coach last season, some believed Rodgers would follow him to Denver.

Saleh and Rodgers have some familiarity because of Saleh’s close relationship with Packers head coach Matt LaFleur. Rodgers said he congratulated Saleh when the Jets hired him while he was FaceTiming with LaFleur. Saleh has faced Rodgers as a coordinator and head coach and got to watch him practice in the summer of 2021, when the Jets and Packers practiced together in Green Bay.


New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh, former offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur (left) and Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers during a joint NFL football practice in 2021.
AP

“Watching him in a practice setting, I thought it was, for me, one of the cooler experiences,” Saleh said at the time. “You hear about Hall of Famers and you hear about how their practice habits are and I just thought the way he communicated with his teammates, the way he talked to his coaches, the respect and the regard that his teammates have for not only him but it’s reciprocated from him to his teammates, just a class act. And everything people think of him is exactly right, he’s A-1.”

The Contract

From a Jets perspective, the biggest hurdle is money. A potential trade for Rodgers would not be a salary cap issue. The three-year, $150 million contract extension he signed in March is structured in a way that keeps the cap hits low for the next two years.

There is a good breakdown of Rodgers’ contract at overthecap.com. Basically, whatever team Rodgers plays for in 2023 would have the option to break Rodgers’ compensation up into a $1.165 million base salary and a $58.3 million bonus. The bonus can be prorated over four years to lower the cap charge. His 2024 salary has a similar option. His cap charges would be a combined $48 million over the next two seasons.


Jets owner Woody Johnson’s commitment to paying for a big time QB would be tested in an Aaron Rodgers deal.
Bill Kostroun for New York Post

So, the Jets could make the cap work. The question is whether Johnson can make the cash work. Even though the bonus would be prorated for cap purposes, Rodgers would be due the $20.3 million within 10 days of the team exercising the option and the other $38 million before Sept. 30.

While Johnson is a billionaire, the Jets do operate under a budget and part of the allure of drafting Zach Wilson in 2021 was having a quarterback playing on a rookie contract and being able to allocate money elsewhere. The Jets surely did not have $60 million in the budget for a quarterback when planning for the 2023 season.

The Packers may be hesitant to trade Rodgers because they will incur a $40 million dead-money charge if they do. If they do move on from Rodgers, it will be because they will have decided they’ve had enough and want to start Jordan Love. It won’t make much financial sense for them.

The Other Issues

Beyond the financial compensation, the Jets would also have to give up draft capital to acquire Rodgers. Just how much depends on who you ask. There was media speculation that the Packers would want two first-round picks for Rodgers. Those around the league feel that is unrealistic. At 39 years old, Rodgers is older than other quarterbacks who have been traded in recent years. The acquiring team would be absorbing his contract, and if it gets to the point of trade talks, would be taking a potential headache off of Green Bay’s hands.

Any trade package probably would be based on how Rodgers performs this coming season. A team could send a mid- and late-round pick in the 2023 draft to Green Bay and also deal a pick or picks in 2024 that are conditional based on things like how many games Rodgers plays, whether he wins MVP, and whether the team make the playoffs, the Super Bowl and wins the Super Bowl. A fourth-round pick could become a first-rounder based on Rodgers hitting certain marks in 2023.

A big question for the Jets is whether they believe Rodgers is declining. He had one of his worst seasons in 2022 after winning the MVP award in 2020 and 2021. Rodgers threw 12 interceptions, his most in a decade, and did not have a single 300-yard passing game last season. The Packers went 8-9 and missed the playoffs.

Then, there is the question of how many years Rodgers wants to play. Is it worth doing all of that for one season? He could be a short-term fix, but the team acquiring him would be searching for another quarterback in 2024. Rodgers has flirted with walking away for several years now.

Rodgers may drag this out and the Jets may not be able to wait. Other quarterbacks, such as Derek Carr and Jimmy Garoppolo, are going to find homes by mid-March. The Jets can’t be left without a partner at the end of the game of QB musical chairs.

“I’ve got to figure out what I want to do,” Rodgers told McAfee, “and then we’ll see where all the parties are at and what kind of transpires after that.”

Things could get interesting.

Coming tomorrow: Could Jimmy G or Derek Carr be the answer?

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Entertainment

Peyton Manning brings back Carrie Underwood side-eye controversy at 2022 CMAs

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Peyton Manning and Luke Bryan wouldn’t let Carrie Underwood forget about the infamous side eye she gave the “American Idol” judge at the CMA Awards.

During their opening monologue, Manning and Bryan, who hosted the CMAs on Wednesday, referenced the moment from last year’s show, when he joked about Aaron Rodgers’ coronavirus vaccine controversy. At the time, Underwood’s husband, former NHL star Mike Fisher, defended Rodgers on social media, and when the camera panned to the singer, she delivered a stoic side eye.

“Carrie Underwood and I have a lot in common,” Manning said to Bryan during Wednesday’s opening monologue. “We both work with Brad Paisley, we’ve both been on ‘Sunday Night Football’ a lot and we’re both very nervous about what Luke Bryan might say tonight.”

The joke drew laughs from the star-studded crowd, and Bryan replied, “Hell, even I’m nervous about what Luke Bryan might say tonight.”

Not much was off limits for the NFL legend and country music star in their opening monologue.

Carrie Underwood at the 2022 CMAs on Nov. 10, 2022.
FilmMagic
Peyton Manning at the 2022 CMAs on Nov. 10, 2022.
ABC via Getty Images

“Whatever makes you country, you are welcome here tonight,” Bryan said during the 2021 CMAs. “Rest assured, we’re following all the health protocols to keep everyone safe, and it is so great to be here with all my fellow artists — tested and together. Or immunized? Who is it? Just playing.”

The camera then showed Underwood, who didn’t appear amused by the joke, and just gave a stern look.

Bryan’s joke was about Rodgers and his controversial stance on vaccines, which dominated headlines last November when the Packers quarterback tested positive for COVID-19. He then entered the NFL protocol for unvaccinated players.

Rodgers intentionally misled reporters in August when he told them he was “immunized” against coronavirus. Rodgers, at the time, said he had been following an “immunization protocol” instead of getting vaccinated.

Carrie Underwood and Mike Fisher at the CMAs
FilmMagic
Carrie Underwood performs at the 2022 CMAs
ABC via Getty Images

At the time, Fisher made headlines when he took to social media to support Rodgers.

“I stand with @aaronrodgers12 I believe in the freedom to choose what we put in our bodies and the freedom of conscience,” the hockey player wrote in a lengthy Instagram statement. “I agree with him in that the science clearly shows the vaccinated spread covid at basically the same rate as the unvaccinated.

“The @nhl @nfl and other leagues are ignoring the science and choosing to coerce and punish unvaccinated players with these restrictions. If they really cared about people’s health they would have daily testing for all.”



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Sports

‘What’s More Likely’ – Rich Eisen on Bucs, Dak, Pats-Jets, Packers, NFC West, Russ, Raiders & More! – The Rich Eisen Show

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  1. ‘What’s More Likely’ – Rich Eisen on Bucs, Dak, Pats-Jets, Packers, NFC West, Russ, Raiders & More! The Rich Eisen Show
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  6. View Full Coverage on Google News

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Sports

Aaron Rodgers, Packers not concerned with QB’s thumb injury

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GREEN BAY, Wis. — The hit that Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers took on the final play of Sunday’s loss to the New York Giants in London kept him out of practice on Wednesday but should not affect his status for Sunday’s game against the New York Jets.

Giants linebacker Oshane Ximines sacked Rodgers on a Hail Mary attempt. He hit Rodgers’ throwing arm and forced a fumble. Rodgers could be seen flexing his right hand as he walked off the field.

“In the moment, you’ve still kind of got the adrenaline going,” Rodgers said Wednesday of the hit. “Once the adrenaline wore off and got on the bus, got back to the airport, got on the plane, I knew it was banged up a little bit but it’s gotten better every day.”

“He’s not going to practice today,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said before Wednesday’s practice. “But I don’t think we have much concern as far as game day.”

Rodgers said he spent most of the practice time doing rehab work on his thumb.

“I’ll try and get back out there and practice tomorrow and see how it feels and be fine by Sunday I’m sure,” Rodgers said.

Jordan Love handled the starting quarterback snaps in practice.

Rodgers is 3-0 in his career against the Jets but is off to a slow start. His QBR of 44.6 is the lowest through the first five games of a season that it has been in his career.

“Well, I think I’m playing as well as I can at times. I expect that typical stretch coming up at some point where we get really hot. Hopefully it starts this week. But I think that’s right around the corner,” Rodgers said, when asked whether he has played up to his standards.

The Packers are looking to avoid their first 3-3 start since 2012 in a game that pits LaFleur against his brother, Mike (the Jets’ offensive coordinator), and one his best friends in Jets coach Robert Saleh.

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Sports

Aaron Rodgers’ treatment of receivers ‘drives me crazy’

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Sean Payton expects better from Aaron Rodgers.

Payton, the former longtime Saints head coach now serving as a Fox NFL analyst, voiced his displeasure with Rodgers’ body language and comments during and after the Packers’ Week 1 loss to the Vikings.

“It drives me crazy,” Payton said on the “NFL Rhodes Show”. “It drives me crazy.”

Rodgers has notably been critical of the team’s young receiving group, which lost Davante Adams when the Packers traded him to the Raiders in a blockbuster this offseason. During the preseason, Rodgers said “the young guys, especially young receivers, we’ve got to be way more consistent. A lot of drops, a lot of bad route decisions, running the wrong route. We’ve got to get better in that area.”

That sentiment has now carried into the regular season, which saw rookie receiver Christian Watson drop an easy, wide-open would-be 75-yard touchdown in the beginning of the loss.

“There’s going to be growing pains,” Rodgers said after the game. “This is real football, it counts. It’s different, there’s nerves. … We’ve got to make those plays.”

Sean Payton, Aaron Rodgers
USA TODAY Sports (2)

Those comments rubbed Payton the wrong way, who would have preferred Rodgers take accountability instead of shift blame onto rookies and young players.

“After the game we go to the interview in the locker room and the very first question posed to Aaron was about bouncing back and he referenced the first play of the game, the dropped pass from a rookie,” Payton said. “And I thought, ‘Come on.’ I like Aaron Rodgers, but I didn’t like what I saw.”



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Sports

Aaron Rodgers makes ‘immunized’ admission on Joe Rogan podcast

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Aaron Rodgers is talking about vaccination again.

The Packers quarterback, whose refusal to get the COVID-19 vaccine became a national story last year, was on “The Joe Rogan Experience” Saturday when the topic came up. Rodgers, who told reporters he was “immunized” last year, admitted that the phrasing was intentionally misleading.

“I’d been ready the entire time for this question and had thought about how I wanted to answer it,” Rodgers said. “And I had come to the conclusion, I’m gonna say, ‘I’ve been immunized.’ And if there’s a follow-up, then talk about my process.

“But, thought there’s a possibility that I say, ‘I’m immunized,’ maybe they understand what that means, maybe they don’t. Maybe they follow up. They didn’t follow up. So then I go [into] the season them thinking, some of them, that I was vaccinated.”

Rodgers was referring to homeopathic medicine he took as a means of immunization, but he further contributed to the perception that he was vaccinated by speaking maskless at press conferences when only vaccinated players were allowed to do so.

When Rodgers eventually tested positive for COVID, the story blew up.

Aaron Rodgers (r.) speaking with Joe Rogan (l.) on “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast.
YouTube/The Joe Rogan Experience
Aaron Rodgers participates in pregame warmups before a preseason game against the Chiefs.
Getty Images

“I knew at some point if I contracted COVID or if word got out, because it’s the NFL and there’s leaks everywhere, it was possible I’d have to answer the questions,” Rodgers said. “And that’s when the s–tstorm hit because now I’m a liar, I’m endangering the community, my teammates, all these people. And the attempted takedown of me and my word and my integrity began.”

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Sports

QB Aaron Rodgers not at start of Green Bay Packers’ OTAs, but coach Matt LaFleur not concerned

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Aaron Rodgers has not been with the Green Bay Packers this week for the start of organized team activities, and coach Matt LaFleur said he was not concerned.

LaFleur left open the possibility that Rodgers would participate in some of the OTAs, but stressed that it was voluntary and was Rodgers’ choice whether to attend.

“I talked to him for a while last night which was great — just to kind of update him on just where we are and go over a few, like we do every offseason,” LaFleur said. “There’s always tweaks to what you’re doing. But no, he’s in great spirits and it was a great conversation. But I wouldn’t anticipate seeing him at least this week.”

Rodgers is expected for the June 7-9 mandatory minicamp; he had previously said on The Pat McAfee Show that he would attend that session but also might come to Green Bay for a few of the OTAs.

“Aaron doesn’t need reps at this time of the year,” Packers quarterbacks coach Tom Clements said last week. “Obviously it’d be nice to have him here, but he’s seen these things 1,000 times and he’ll be ready to go when training camp starts.”

The Packers opened OTAs on Monday and held their first session open to reporters Tuesday. LaFleur said he spoke with Rodgers on Monday night and reported that the quarterback was “in good spirits.” He said they talked about “tweaks to the offense” they planned to make for this season.

Rodgers surprised the Packers with a visit to Lambeau Field during the conditioning phase of the offseason program last month and even took part in some of those drills. He had come to Wisconsin to attend a Milwaukee Bucks playoff game.

“He’ll be ready to go, he’ll be eager to go,” Clements said. “He’s just at a different stage of his career now, where he’s taking care of himself and working on what he thinks he needs to work on physically. He looked good when I saw him, so he’ll be ready to go.”

Last year, Rodgers skipped the entire offseason program, including the mandatory minicamp, while he contemplated his future with the Packers. This year’s absence comes under a much different tenor; Rodgers signed a three-year, $150 million contract extension in March.

Jordan Love, the Packers’ 2020 first-round pick, will handle the starting quarterback reps during OTA practices.

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Sports

NFL quarterbacks Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen to tee it up in The Match

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The only place you’ll see four of the last five NFL MVPs competing at the same time and same place this year is on a golf course.

This year’s version of Capital One’s The Match will feature a foursome of Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen. The 12-hole exhibition will take place on June 1 (6:30 p.m. ET on TNT) at Wynn Las Vegas, the only golf course on the Las Vegas Strip.

It will be the old guard against the youngsters with Brady and Rodgers versus Mahomes and Allen, Turner Sports announced on Monday.

Brady and Rodgers played in The Match last year but as opponents. They were paired with PGA Tour stars Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau last July in Big Sky, Montana. Rodgers and DeChambeau won the match, with Rodgers clinching the victory by making a 12-foot putt on the 16th hole.

There have been five previous editions of Capital One’s The Match that have raised nearly $33 million for various charitable organizations, according to Turner Sports.

Rodgers, the two-time reigning NFL MVP, and Brady both decided this offseason to continue their NFL careers after contemplating retirement. Brady actually retired from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and then changed his mind, while Rodgers signed a three-year, $150 million contract to return to the Green Bay Packers.

Rodgers is listed as a 4.6 handicap by the Wisconsin State Golf Association, and Brady was reportedly an 8.1 handicap before last year’s match. Rodgers is also a regular participant in the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament, and Mahomes took part in the event last summer.

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen played in the PGA Tour’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am in February as a 9.0 handicap.

Mahomes is reportedly a 7.7 handicap, according to Golf.com.

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Sports

Aaron Rodgers hints that he and Shailene Woodley are together

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Perhaps he called an audible on calling it quits?

Aaron Rodgers appeared to hint that he and Shailene Woodley are still together despite multiple insiders saying they have broken up and the “Divergent” star being spotted without her engagement ring less than a week ago.

“When your home life is stable and you have an amazing partner to do life with, it just makes the work life a bonus,” the NFL MVP, 38, said on “The Pat McAfee Show” Tuesday, “and it changes your perspective because you’re able to not look at work as, like, a refuge.”

Rodgers said he recently told Woodley, 30, “I’ve been with you two years, won two MVPs — that’s not a coincidence, either.”

He said significant others of athletes are often looked at as “possible distractions,” but he credits the “Big Little Lies” star for much of his success in the NFL in recent years.

“I know, for me, it’s been great the last two seasons to have that stability at home,” the Green Bay Packers quarterback added.

Aaron Rodgers appeared to hint that he and Shailene Woodley have not broken up, despite reports that say otherwise.
The Pat McAfee Show/YouTube; Instagram

“When things are good in your personal life and your relationships, your friendships, your loved ones, it allows you to just relax and be so much more grateful, I think, for the little things in life,” Rodgers reiterated to McAfee.

When asked whether Woodley has “changed” and “shaped” him since they’ve started dating, the football player responded, “Oh yeah, without a doubt.”

“I’ve learned so much from her,” he said. “She’s just an incredible woman — talented, smart, kind. I said it last night, she taught me what unconditional love looks like.”

Aaron Rodgers thanked rumored ex Shailene Woodley on Instagram amid reports they have split.
aaronrodgers12/Instagram

Rodgers was referencing an Instagram post he shared Monday, in which he spoke about gratitude, thanked Woodley for “always having my back” and even shared a picture of the couple cuddling.

The quarterback also said on McAfee’s show that having a partner like the “Fault in Our Stars” actress makes life “more enjoyable, and tasteful and exciting.”

“When you meet your person, life just changes, and you can’t possibly not be changed being around those special people that we meet,” he continued, singing her praises. “Friendships can do that. Relationships can do that. And you’re never the same because you know that you can’t be.”

However, in the interview, Rodgers may have also given insight into what may have produced the split rumors.

One of the insiders, who claimed to know about the breakup, told People, “They’re very different people with busy careers, and there were obstacles that they couldn’t surmount.”

A source previously said the couple have a “different, non-traditional relationship.”
Disney Parks

Rodgers previously admitted he did not get the COVID-19 vaccine, and sources said the couple were “not talking about their politics” and had decided to “agree to disagree about things and not debate them.”

Rodgers told McAfee that he had “a lot of feelings of remorse” about that situation and how it affected Woodley and his other loved ones.

He said, “I am very sorry to those people — Shai, my loved ones, and my agents … I didn’t realize the kind of shrapnel they’d be taking.”

Rodgers continued, “I never meant to get you in the middle of it, but you got into it by proxy because of your relationship with me, and I love you guys. I appreciate the support.”

The pair began dating in 2020, and in February 2021, while accepting the Most Valuable Player award during the NFL Honors, Rodgers casually thanked his “fiancée” — without naming her.

A source then confirmed to People soon after that the pair were, in fact, engaged.

A rep for Woodley did not immediately return Page Six’s request for comment on Rodgers’ latest interview.

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Sports

Aaron Rodgers’ career may have just ended in shocking thud

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The end.

That’s what Saturday night looked, felt and sounded like at Lambeau Field.

It was definitely the end of a Packers season that looked like it had potential to end in the Super Bowl a few weeks from now.

Of much greater magnitude, though, the night very possibly marked the end for Aaron Rodgers.

This postseason was always going to be about legacy for the Packers quarterback, whose pedestrian playoff numbers have never been commensurate with his remarkable personal accomplishments, nor is the one Super Bowl ring he owns.

The Packers’ stunning 13-10 loss to the 49ers on the final play of this NFC divisional playoff game on a frigid and tense night put an abrupt end to Green Bay’s season and put the spotlight on the 38-year-old Rodgers’ future.

A year ago, after Rodgers and the Packers lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Buccaneers in the NFC Championship and Rodgers was asked about his future, he famously called it “a beautiful mystery,’’ igniting all sorts of speculation that bled into the entire offseason.

After the loss to the 49ers, against whom he and the Packers offense managed only three points after scoring a touchdown on the game’s opening possession, when Rodgers was asked about his future, he became very introspective and acknowledged that he might very well be finished.

Aaron Rodgers
USA TODAY Sports

Rodgers said he felt a “little numb’’ at the loss, adding, “I didn’t think it was going to end like this.’’

Asked how he would describe his future after Saturday’s loss, Rodgers said, “I’m going to take some time and have conversations with the folks around here and take some time away. It’s fresh right now, a little shocking for sure. I thought we had a Super Bowl-caliber team. I haven’t really let the moment really sink in yet.’’

Rodgers, who finished the game 20-of-29 for 225 yards and no touchdowns, was done in by one of the worst special teams performances in postseason history.

The Packers had a 39-yard field goal on the final play of the first half that could have given them a 10-0 halftime lead blocked. They, too, had a punt blocked that was returned for a touchdown, tying the game at 10-10 with 4:41 remaining.

Still, though, Rodgers and the Packers got the ball back on their own 29-yard line with 4:36 remaining in a tie game. These are moments made for superstar quarterbacks like Rodgers. But he and the Green Bay offense went three-and-out, with Rodgers missing receiver Allen Lazard with a third-down pass he’ll forever want back.

That gave the ball to maligned San Francisco quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo with 3:20 remaining and he would drive the 49ers into field goal range for Robbie Gould to finish Rodgers and the Packers off with a 45-yard dagger-through-the-heart game-winner as the clock bled to :00.

The great Aaron Rodgers, who’s now 0-4 in his career against the 49ers in the playoffs, lost to Jimmy Garoppolo. It’s going to take a lot longer for Packers fans to digest that than the brats they consumed in the pregame tailgates.

Asked how much personal responsibility he takes out of this loss, Rodgers, to his credit, didn’t run and hide. He took full accountability.

Aaron Rodgers is sacked by Arik Armstead during the Packers’ 13-10 loss to the 49ers.
Getty Images

“A lot,’’ he said. “I didn’t have a great night. I definitely take my fair share of blame.’’

As Rodgers was peppered after the game with questions about his future, he spoke very much like someone who was saying “goodbye’’ to the place he’s called home for the past 17 NFL seasons.

He spoke a lot about the eventual changes that are certain to take place on the Green Bay roster, saying, “This thing is definitely going to look different moving forward. There a lot of decisions to come in the next couple months.’’

Then came this telling statement: “I don’t want to be a part a rebuild if I’m going to keep playing.’’

When he was asked what he believes his legacy is if this is it for him, this is when Rodgers sounded like this was an exit interview.

“It’s raw right now,’’ he said. “But I’m very proud of what I’ve been able to accomplish here, deeply thankful for so many years here and all the incredible teammates and coaches I’ve had. Man, so much gratitude for this city and this organization, such a long career here.’’

In his next breath, though, Rodgers left the door ajar for more.

“I still super-competitive,’’ he said. “I still know I can play at a high level, so it’s going to be a tough decision. A lot of people feeling shock. We didn’t expect this. But that’s life sometimes. Just got to keep on moving on.’’

The question that will linger until it doesn’t is this: Will Rodgers be moving on from a brilliant football career that feels like it left some valuables on the table?

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