National Football League

Aaron Rodgers says he could retire, but some think it's a power play

Updated Dec. 30, 2021 4:17 p.m. ET

It's difficult to deny that Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is still operating at peak performance at the age of 38.

In each of the past three seasons, the Packers have won at least 12 games. And in the past two seasons, they've advanced to the NFC Championship Game.

Rodgers was named MVP in 2020, thanks to a 48-touchdown campaign with just five interceptions. There is a strong chance that he is in the middle of a repeat performance, with 33 touchdowns and just four interceptions so far this season.

In fact, he was just named the NFC Player of the Month for December for his dominant play.

Coming into this season, there was plenty of speculation that Rodgers' time with the Packers could be nearing an end, as the future Hall of Famer and his front office were not seeing eye-to-eye. Now, though, there are hints that this could be Rodgers' final campaign in the NFL — period.

In a news conference Wednesday, Rodgers spoke about his future, detailing how he is considering all options, including retirement.

"I wouldn't rule that out," Rodgers said. "I'm just enjoying this season for this season."

But with the Packers having the best record in the league (12-3) and Rodgers playing as well as he ever has, would he really choose this moment to walk away from the game?

Colin Cowherd doesn't believe so. He sees this as a case of Rodgers angling to control his destiny and avoid landing in a less-than-glamorous destination next season.

Cowherd explained his reasoning on "The Herd."

"There's zero chance he is retiring. Zero chance," Cowherd said. "The discussion of retirement lets all the second-tier franchises know: I will retire."

Colin Cowherd: "No, Aaron Rodgers is not retiring after this season"

Colin Cowherd says there's zero chance Aaron Rodgers is retiring after the season, but there's a reason behind the "retirement" narrative the Green Bay QB is pushing.

Chris Broussard echoed that sentiment on "First Things First."

"I don't think Rodgers is retiring," he said. "He's staying in the moment, not getting caught up in the past or what may happen in the future. I think it helps him stay where he wants to be mentally."

But with the Packers positioned as Super Bowl favorites, is this the right time for Rodgers to be looking beyond the mission at hand?

ESPN's Damien Woody believes all of it is a distraction more than anything, which he detailed on "Get Up."

"Why are we even talking about potential retirement and all of that type of stuff?" Woody asked. "As a player, we try to keep the main thing the main thing. Right now, the main thing is trying to win the next game and win the No. 1 seed and hopefully gain that home-field advantage and advance to the Super Bowl."