A decision on Aaron Rodgers’ football future could come relatively soon. The Green Bay Packers quarterback said Tuesday on “The Pat McAfee Show” that the decision “won’t be a long, drawn-out process” and he wants to respect both the team and teammates with uncertain futures by making a decision before free agency.
“There is a timeframe for this because I understand my decision does impact a number of other people’s decisions and I want to be very sensitive to that. And so I’ll definitely make a decision sooner rather than later,” Rodgers said.
The Packers are going into the offseason with a difficult salary cap situation and over 20 different free agents, including All-Pro receiver Davante Adams.
In the same interview, Rodgers outlined the factors that would go into the decision. The first step is taking time away and deciding if he wants to keep playing. He said all options are on the table, including retirement or returning to play in Green Bay or elsewhere, but making a decision won’t take all offseason. In fact, it could come in late February or early March.
Rodgers knows the sooner he decides, the sooner the team and other players can adjust.
“I’d like to be respectful of the organization,” Rodgers said.
The start of the new league year and free agency is in mid-March. The franchise tag deadline is another date to watch, according to Rodgers, especially with Adams a potential candidate to receive the tag. The deadline for teams to use the tag is March 8, and teams can start using the tag late in February.
“I don’t want to put myself on a specific date, but I do want to be sensitive to Davante and many other guys who have decisions to make on their own futures,” Rodgers said. “And to drag it out past free agency would be disrespectful to the organization and to those guys, and that 100 percent will not happen.”
Rodgers said his relationship with general manager Brian Gutekunst is in a great place, and he ensured there would be no “standoff” or “war of silence” during the process.
“When it comes time to make a decision, we’ll have a conversation and that’ll be that,” Rodgers said.
