Weeks after making waves for his potential retirement, Aaron Rodgers is about to be traded to the New York Jets.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Monday, April 24, that the Inexperienced Bay Packers have been buying and selling Rodgers — and the No. 15 and 170 picks within the NFL draft — to the Jets in trade for the No. 13, 42, and 207 picks within the Thursday, April 26, draft. Packers Common Supervisor Brian Gutekunst subsequently confirmed the information in a press convention, noting that the phrases aren’t “finalized but.”
“Clearly, Aaron is up there in age. I feel he’s received some actually good soccer left in him, however I feel for us, as we received via the offseason and began speaking about the place we wished to go, this made a bit little bit of sense for us,” Gutekunst advised reporters. “That was a bit bit unlucky and disappointing for me. However on the similar time, I simply assume, you already know, as we transfer ahead, we’re actually excited the place [backup QB] Jordan [Love] may go. … We’re making an attempt to construct.”
Again in February, Rodgers, 39, revealed his plans to attend a four-day “darkness retreat” that may assist him discover readability about his future in soccer.
“It’s a possibility to do some self-reflection in some isolation and after that, I really feel like I’ll be lots nearer to that closing, closing resolution,” the NFL athlete stated throughout an look on The Pat McAfee Present on the time. “I’ve had a lot of mates who’ve carried out it and so they had profound experiences.”
Hypothesis about his potential retirement first started in October 2022 when sports activities journalist Michael Balko tweeted that the athlete had plans within the works to hold up his cleats.
“I’ve spoken to some individuals inside the #Packers group, they advised me that QB Aaron Rodgers has ‘made it clear’ that he plans to retire following the season,” Balko wrote on the time.
Although there have been rumors that the quarterback wouldn’t return to the NFL for the 2022 season, Rodgers shot down the rumors in March, signing a three-year contract price $150.8 million — a deal that made him the highest-paid participant in North American sports activities historical past.
Three months later, he candidly mentioned the concept of retirement throughout an interview with ESPN’s Rob Demovsky.
“If you happen to say I’m for certain enjoying two extra, three years after which you might have a magical season that ends with a championship and assume that may be one of the best ways to journey off, I don’t need to decide to one thing,” Rodgers shared. “You say, I’m solely enjoying another 12 months and you’ve got a bitter style in your mouth and nonetheless received the drive and the eagerness to play one or two extra years, I simply don’t need to get pigeonholed into it.”
The California native added: “So I’m centered on this season. I’m by no means gonna drag it out within the offseason. The conversations I’ve had with [general manager] Brian [Guntekunst] have been very trustworthy and direct, and that’s not going to vary, and we’ll sit down after the season, hopefully after a championship and work out what the following step is.”
Rodgers has typically been a controversial determine within the NFL via the years. In 2021, he made headlines following allegations that he lied about his vaccination standing. The participant examined optimistic for COVID-19 that November, months after telling reporters he was “immunized.”
After information broke that he had contracted coronavirus, he claimed he underwent his personal protocols and coverings to “create a protection in opposition to COVID.”
“I didn’t lie within the preliminary press convention,” Rodgers claimed on The Pat McAfee Present on the time. “And on the time my plan was to say I’ve been immunized. It wasn’t some form of ruse or lie … I discovered an immunization protocol that might greatest defend me and my teammates. And it was a long-term protocol that concerned a number of months.”
Following his vaccination controversy, it was confirmed that Rodgers had cut up from fiancée Shailene Woodley. He received engaged to the Large Little Lies star, 31, in February 2021, however Us Weekly confirmed in February 2022 that they known as off their wedding ceremony.
Per week after the information, Rodgers went on the Pat McAfee Present to specific his apologies that his remarks about COVID-19 had on the individuals in his life, together with Woodley. “I’m very sorry to these individuals, Shai and my family members. I didn’t understand the type of shrapnel they’d be taking. … Understanding type of the whole gravity of the scenario I used to be thrust into and determined to talk on a number of instances had an impact on lots of people. To these individuals, I simply say, ‘I’m sorry,’” he stated on the time.
Amid all the drama, Rodgers’ estranged household stayed mum even when the soccer star introduced his engagement to Woodley. Though the origins of the tensions between Aaron and his household are unknown, issues have been heightened when his brother Jordan Rodgers went on JoJo Fletcher’s season of The Bachelorette in 2016.
“It pains each of us, like, to not have that relationship [with Aaron] – we miss our brother,” the previous actuality star stated on the present on the time. “I belief that God brings issues full circle and that every part would simply get again to us being a household.”
Regardless of his controversies, Aaron nonetheless has a powerful profession that started when he began at Butte Faculty in 2002. He ultimately transferred to the College of California, Berkeley after one 12 months the place he set a number of passing information together with lowest-season and profession interception charges. After a record-breaking junior 12 months, the spokesperson for State Farm Insurance coverage determined to forego his senior 12 months and be part of the 2005 NFL Draft the place he was chosen by the Inexperienced Bay Packers.
In 2010, the Packers participant led his workforce to victory on the Superbowl XLV over the Steelers, incomes him the Tremendous Bowl MVP title. Aaron ranks third on the NFL’s all-time common season profession passer ranking checklist and holds the perfect touchdown-to-interception ratio in NFL historical past at 4.80. He has been honored with quite a few awards together with successful the Finest NFL Participant ESPY Award 4 instances in a row.
Apart from soccer, Aaron is a restricted associate within the Milwaukee Bucks possession group and has labored with the MACC Fund for over a decade which focuses on childhood most cancers analysis.
