National Football League

Aaron Rodgers undecided on future, but decision will come 'soon enough'

Updated Mar. 1, 2023 2:18 p.m. ET

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Aaron Rodgers remains undecided about his NFL future following a recent darkness retreat.

However, appearing on "The Aubrey Marcus Podcast," the Green Bay Packers quarterback realized the earlier he makes a decision, the better it is for everyone involved. 

"It’s best for anybody who has an interest in this to make a decision sooner rather than later," Rodgers said. "I remember before [Brett] Favre retired, there were times in April and May, we weren’t sure if he was going to come back because he didn’t come to any of the offseason program.

"Then in 2008, he actually did retire in March and then said, ‘No, no, no,’ in June after OTAs, I actually want to come back and play. That’s when he was traded to the Jets. There was obviously a lot of tension that summer. For everybody involved directly and indirectly, it’s best for a decision earlier."

As he realizes his decision has to come soon, Rodgers said that he feels "really good about the conversations that are going to be had" along with the ones he's already had with the "important people in my life." But he isn't looking for someone to make the decision for him.

"I’m not looking for somebody to tell me what the answer is," Rodgers said. "All the answers are right inside me. I touched many of the feelings on both sides in the darkness. I’m thankful for that time.

"There’s a finality to the decision. I don’t make it lightly. I don’t want to drag anybody around. I’m answering questions about it because I got asked about it. I’m talking about it because it’s important to me. If you don’t like it and you think it’s drama, and you think I’m being a diva or whatever, then just tune it out. That’s fine. But this is my life. It’s important to me. I’lI make a decision soon enough and we’ll go down that road. I’ll be really excited about it."

Rodgers' comments on the podcast are the first public statements he's made since he emerged from that darkness retreat, which took place over several days in February at a facility in Oregon.

Rodgers said that he thought about what retirement would be like and imagined what it would be like to continue playing at points during his retreat. He said that wasn't the main purpose, however, for why he spent time in isolation without electronics.

"I just needed to get the opportunity to reset," Rodgers said. "As it got closer and closer, obviously there was a lot of other questions about my future that have been on the mind and have been contemplated. I knew it would be a good opportunity to kind of sit with those things. 

"But that wasn't the main reason I was doing it. It was, how often do we unplug? How often do we even set our phones down for a little bit, read a book instead of watch TV, you know? Meditate instead of listen to music. Whatever it might be that allows us to kind of disconnect from technology and the world and give ourselves the gift of rest."

If Rodgers decides to continue his playing career, there's been speculation that it would likely be with a team other than the Packers.

Aaron Rodgers' darkness retreat concludes with Packers future still in question

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Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst told reporters at the combine on Tuesday that he hasn't spoken with Rodgers since the season ended in early January and didn't rule anything out.

"He’s a great player, but until we have those conversations, I think all options are on the table," Gutekunst said of Rodgers' future with the team. "We need to have those conversations. We want what’s best for the Green Bay Packers, what’s best for him — so we’ll get to that coming up."

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