Aaron Rodgers’ Decision Is Now Imminent
Dustin Baker
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Earlier in the week, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers posted a bunch of “Monday Night Gratitude” media on Instagram, stirring the pot for the masses on his impending career decision.
Rodgers, 38, will either retire, request a trade to a different team, or play for the Packers in 2022. All options are equally as realistic as of late February.
Following the semi-cryptic Instagram bit, he hopped on The Pat McAfee Show the next morning, immediately telling listeners his decision wasn’t final. The Monday night cliffhanger was a nothingburger, instead just a man deep his feelings after a bodily cleanse.
However, the Packers, Packers fans, and NFL pundits are hanging on Rodgers’ every word because his decision changes the landscape of the NFL. If he leaves Green Bay, the Jordan Love era begins – for better or worse. Should Rodgers want a trade, well, a team like the Denver Broncos or Pittsburgh Steelers will get a whole lot better. And if Rodgers returns to the Packers – again – most Wisconsinites will rejoice. With Rodgers at QB1, a team always has a puncher’s chance to reach the Super Bowl. He doesn’t usually get there, but the flirtation is real.
Even though his Instagram-McAfee antics peeved some fans, his decision is still imminent. He must decide his next steps before the NFL’s free agency period, scheduled to open on March 14. ESPN’s Dianna Russini confirmed the decision is close on Thursday:
Based on these words, the Rodgers choice should hit any minute. Of course, it’s not beyond the Packers quarterback to highjack the circus for a couple more weeks, but then he’d affect the livelihoods of his teammates, who he seems to adore.
His decision directly affects the future of the Minnesota Vikings – and the rest of the NFC North. For a little over a decade, Rodgers’ presence in Green Bay gripped a stranglehold on the division, chiefly because of his otherworldly skillset. First with Favre for 16 years and then with Rodgers, the Packers were assured guaranteed relevance since 1992. If Rodgers departs for another team or retires, the NFC North suddenly experiences a power vacuum.
The Broncos should be considered the frontrunner if Rodgers requests a trade. His offensive coordinator from the last few years is now the head coach, Denver’s roster is fairly nop-notch, the money is right for his arrival, and the Broncos have not showcased competent quarterback play since 2014. Even when Denver won the Super Bowl in 2015, Peyton Manning was terrible.
Calling it quits for Rodgers would be even more interesting. Green Bay would embark on a brave new world – like the rest of the NFL – stripped of the quarterback supremacy present for almost three decades. Too, NFL fans would watch an NFL product sans Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers for the first in the millennium.
And per Russini, Rodgers’ much-anticipated decision should hit any minute.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
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