Aaron Rodgers has emerged from the darkness, which puts him one step ahead of most writers I know. Rodgers spent a few days in a retreat, searching for clarity (and possibly a USB port). Now, he is out and ready to take on the world. Unless he isn’t.
Before we get to Rodgers’s future, let’s discuss his recent past. If I had to sum up the public reaction to his visit to the darkness retreat in three words, they would be: What a weirdo. Choosing to get mauled by 320-pound men for a living is apparently rational behavior, but spending a few days without screen time? Now that’s outrageous. If Rodgers wanted to clear his mind and meditate, who are we to judge? What’s good for Thoreau is good for anyone running a two-minute drill, is what I always say.
Now Rodgers must decide whether he wants to play football, and if so, for whom, and then he must figure out if that whom wants him. ESPN reported last month that the Packers would prefer to “move on” from Rodgers to Jordan Love; the franchise is hoping for a smooth transition from peace to Love. This could hurt Rodgers’s feelings, as many people have over the years, though he might also be fueled by it.
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Rodgers could win another MVP award, flame out in New York or Las Vegas, or choose to retire next week. Anything is possible. What is clear—and really, kind of sad—is that people increasingly view everything Rodgers does through the filter of his strangest comments and behavior. His comments on the COVID-19 vaccine, Jeffrey Epstein and China’s spy balloons have shown he will believe any conspiracy theory as long as most people do not, and, on that note: My understanding is that true emotional tranquility can only be achieved by wiring $1.234 million to the writer you last read. Link in bio.
Some of what Rodgers has said is genuinely harmful. COVID-19 disinformation has killed people. He seems to subsist on a cocktail of intellectual curiosity and deep mistrust, which might be a more dangerous combination than incuriosity and mistrust. One teammate said Rodgers quizzed him about 9/11 conspiracy theories; I would have been more surprised if Rodgers said we all know al-Qaeda did it. Most maddening is that Rodgers is clearly bright. He has become a prime example of how insecurities lead smart people to outsmart themselves.
Our country has a disturbing number of people like that, and mocking them doesn’t seem to be getting us very far. It is likely that the more people call Rodgers strange, the more validated he feels. We would all be better off if we saw him as a complex person with redeeming qualities and unsettling opinions. We should be applauding him for going on his darkness retreat. It’s a much healthier path to the serenity he seeks than whatever he might Google at 2 a.m.
While we’re at it: We really, truly should be able to separate any evaluation of Rodgers’s football ability from whatever he says to Pat McAfee or Joe Rogan. He has won four MVP awards and has the second-highest passer rating of all time, behind Patrick Mahomes. If the NFL redid its all-time team from three years ago, he would probably be on it, and I thought he should have been on it then. It would be a shame if he goes to New York and people get so distracted by drama that they forget he is one of the best ever to do it … and yes, that could happen. Ask Kevin Durant.
The most shocking part of Rodgers’s venture into the darkness, at least for me, was that Sky Cave Retreats owner Scott Berman told ESPN the lights can be turned on from inside the room. Who has the discipline to sit in the darkness for three days when the light switch is right there? I can’t even leave my stupid phone alone on the nightstand when I should be trying to sleep. Sure, I’ll be exhausted tomorrow, but I must attack this new Wordle! Say what you want about Rodgers, but do not question his discipline.
I hope Rodgers plays next year because I enjoy watching him more than I enjoy listening to him, and I think Rodgers with the Jets would be fascinating football theater. But if he has had enough, then good for him. So few athletes get to choose their ending. All I wish for Rodgers is what I wish for any of my fellow citizens: peace, harmony and a few reputable news sources.
