Has Aaron Rodgers played his last game in Green Bay? originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
When the Washington Football Team and Baltimore Ravens square off in their to-be-scheduled matchups with the Packers in 2021, will it be with future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers wearing the green and gold?
Rodgers is one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history, and he has become synonymous with Green Bay since being drafted in 2005 and taking over as the franchise's starter a few years later.
But now, after another postseason heartbreak, it's possible he's eyeing an exit from the only team he's ever known.
"A lot of guy's futures, they’re uncertain. Myself included," Rodgers told reporters after the 31-26 loss to Tom Brady and the Buccaneers in the NFC Championship Game.
Members of the media came away from Rodgers' postgame availability feeling like he was potentially considering making a move. Rodgers won't be a free agent until 2024 and is still owed quite a bit of money, so that could present one barrier to any changes.
Another obstacle is the fact that the Packers love having Rodgers as their quarterback (who wouldn't?) and don't have much incentive to jettison the league's likely MVP winner.
"I sure as hell hope so," Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said to the media when asked if Rodgers would be returning for his age-38 season. "I mean, the guy is the MVP of this league. He's the heart and soul of our football team. So, hell yeah. He better be back here. He's our leader."
Rodgers' comments come months after the Packers drafted his heir apparent in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft in Jordan Love. Love was inactive for all 18 games the Packers played in the regular season and postseason combined, but he is thought to have a ton of arm talent and upside, and the franchise obviously viewed him as their future after drafting him so highly.
Of course, LaFleur's remarks make it clear Green Bay isn't preparing to make a switch at the position anytime soon. It's always easy for fans to consider the future after a loss in January - Love's name was trending online on Sunday - but the Packers are still blessed with MVP-caliber quarterback play. Aaron Rodgers isn't the reason they lost.
Another option for Rodgers could be retirement, if he wanted to walk away from his contract and ride off into the sunset.
This is all very, very early as far as speculation goes, and there's no concrete evidence that Rodgers is looking to jump ship just yet. But it's always interesting to hear one of the faces of the NFL, a high-profile future Hall of Famer who has spent his entire career with one of the league's preeminent franchises, sound anything less than certain about a return next year.
