After weeks of silence, Aaron Rodgers' future became abundantly clear on Wednesday when he said on The Pat McAfee Show that "his intention is to play, and to play for the New York Jets."
What You Need To Know
- Aaron Rodgers appeared on The Pat McAfee Show Wednesday to discuss his future in the NFL
- Rodgers said "since Friday, his intention is to play, and to play for the New York Jets."
- The deal is not done, and it's a matter of the Jets and Packers working it out
- Rodgers said he has "no malice, no bitterness toward the Packers."
Aaron Rodgers joined The Pat McAfee Show live, where he has been a regular guest for the last three seasons, to discuss his future in the NFL.
Rodgers confirmed that the deal is not done, and it's a matter of the Jets and Packers working it out. He also expressed gratitude toward Green Bay but said that the reality is that the Packers want to transition to quarterback Jordan Love.
“I love so many people in that town, so many people that work in that organization, and I love the fans," said Rodgers. “I have nothing but love in my heart for every Packer fan, but we just gotta look at the reality. They want to move on."
Rodgers said went into his four days of darkness retreat with mindset that he was 90% retiring and 10% still playing. When he came out of the darkness, he realized "something had changed [...] there had been a bit of a shift."
That something was that the Packers appeared they were ready to move on.
"They're ready to move on," Rodgers said. "Jordan is going to be a great player. He's a great kid. He's got a bright future."
Last week, fans suspected Rodgers' move to New York was becoming clearer when Jets officials met with the 4-time MVP after receiving permission from the Packers. Rodgers said that he met with the Jets once it became clear that the Packers didn't want him as their starter.
On Tuesday, ESPN's Dianna Russini reported that Rodgers wanted the Jets to target Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb and Marcedes Lewis.
Later Tuesday, the New York Jets signed Rodgers’ No. 1 target last season, Allen Lazard, to a four-year, $44 million deal. Lazard will reunite with his former offensive coordinator, Nathaniel Hackett, in New York.
Cobb and Lewis are both free agents this season and are questionable to re-sign.
Rodgers said on the show that, "it's debatable whether he's the greatest player in Packers history." Rodgers played 18 seasons with the Packers, longer than any other player in their rich history. He won a Super Bowl Championship in 2011, eight division titles and four MVP awards.
The official NFL calendar for the new league year starts today at 3:00 p.m. CT, when teams can announce trades or free agent signings.