Aaron Rodgers has been slammed by one of his biggest public defenders with ESPN's Stephen A Smith stating that he 'has more headlines than wins'.
The Green Bay Packers quarterback has had an interesting few weeks since the NFL season ended, stating that he is unsure of his future in the sport, whether he will want to remain with the Packers, be traded to another team or potentially retire from the sport.
Before making his decision, Rodgers entered into a darkness retreat where he spent four days in voluntary confinement in a facility in southern Oregon. He stayed in a 300-square-foot underground cabin, in which he had said he planned to meditate without the use of electronic devices.
The NFL star has not yet appeared publicly since leaving the facility last Thursday, but is expected to speak on the Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday afternoon.
Rodgers' future in the league is currently unclear with the Packers reportedly keen to move on from him and acquire two first-round draft picks, but the quarterback did speak confidently on what he can do if he comes back in 2023, stating that he can play at an MVP level.
Speaking on ESPN's First Take though, Smith stated that he's worried about Rodgers' intentions - indicating that he thinks Rodgers cares more about the news he makes more than his NFL legacy.
Smith said: "Aaron Rodgers seems more committed to making headlines at this point in his career than he is to winning. Nobody is bringing that up. I am not accusing the man of going out on the football field and not trying to win."
He added: "There are nuggets of intel that we have witnessed and received that shows there’s more that Aaron Rodgers could have done to facilitate winning like being in camp and cultivating relationships with his receivers.
"We’ve talked about these things and helping to bring dudes along. That’s not what he’s necessarily done. He’s marched to his own beat and his own tune. And that’s what he seems hell-bent on doing. He seems entertained by the fact that it has created headlines and news."
Rodgers has won MVP awards in two of the last three years, but still only boasts a single Super Bowl victory - winning with the Packers in 2010.
He has been heavily linked with a trade to the Las Vegas Raiders, in a move that will have to be made before March 15 when the free agency period begins.
