Is Aaron Rodgers Teasing Retirement, Or Just Trolling?
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- One of the dominant NFL storylines of last offseason was the fate of Aaron Rodgers. Speculation flew about whether the star quarterback would return to the Packers, leave for another team or even step away from the game altogether.
It looks like we may get a sequel to that drama this offseason.
Rodgers put up a lengthy post on Instagram Monday night, starting the caption with #MondayNightGratitude.
In the post, he thanked everyone from Shailene Woodley, to whom he may or may not still be engaged, to head coach Matt LaFleur to backup quarterback Jordan Love.
Rodgers used the past tense at times in the post, thanking "the men I got to share the QB room with everyday" and saying that he will "cherish the memories we've made."
"To my teammates, past and current, you are the icing on the beautiful cake we call our job; football," Rodgers wrote. "The friendships that we have will transcend our collective time in this game and I am so thankful for the role that each of you have played in making my life that much better."
The photos in the post show Rodgers with various teammates, friends and coaches. The last photo shows the Packers standing before a game for the national anthem, an empty space between wide receivers Randall Cobb and Davante Adams.
The 38-year-old quarterback courted drama throughout the season, too, coyly misleading fans and the media about his vaccination status before espousing unsubstantiated beliefs about COVID-19 and the vaccine on a weekly radio show.
Rodgers' frustration last offseason reportedly stemmed from the drafting of Love, the lack of team success and leadership's refusal to consider his input on team construction. He won his fourth MVP award this season, but the Packers, despite being the No. 1 seed in the NFC, lost in the divisional round of the playoffs. Rodgers and the offense managed just 10 points against the San Francisco 49ers.
Rodgers is still under contract with the Packers, so unless he truly plans on retiring or a trade is in the works, he'll be playing for the green and gold come September.