Former NFL star Tom Brady has urged Aaron Rodgers not to follow him into retirement, claiming that the NFL "needs good quarterbacks".
Brady announced his second retirement on February 1 after initially calling time on his career last year, ending his NFL journey as the most successful player of all-time. It'll be strange to not have Brady in the NFL next season, but Rodgers is another veteran that's been toying with retirement.
Rodgers still has two years left on his deal with the Green Bay Packers, but has sent mixed signals about what he will be doing next season. Now that Brady has got his retirement out the way, he's asked Rodgers to stay put and play on.
It was a poor season by the Packers' recent standards, as they missed out on the postseason despite finishing as the no.1 seed in the NFC the previous campaign. The loss of wide receiver Davante Adams proved to be a key miss, and Rodgers appeared to be a frustrated figure throughout the season.
Rodgers is still in demand, and it's likely he will see out the remainder of his bumper three-year deal that was signed before the 2022 season. However, he's hinted that it may not be with the Packers, as the likes of Las Vegas Raiders and the New York Jets have shown interest.
Retirement is also an option for Rodgers, something he's flirted with since the conclusion of the regular season. But Brady has now come out and urged Rodgers to carry on, otherwise it would "a sad day for the league".
"You know what, I hope he doesn't retire," Brady said on the latest episode of his Lets Go Podcast. "...I think the league needs good quarterbacks, and he's one of the greats. So if he retires, it'll be a sad day for the league."
Rodgers was under the spotlight last season as results continued to go against the Packers, but he was also nursing an injured thumb throughout. Brady also touched on this, and sent a positive message to his long-term rival.
"Certainly from the standpoint of him leaving the game the way that he's playing, he broke his thumb this year and still played tremendous(ly)," Brady added. "And you could see as he got healthy throughout the year how incredibly talented he is.
"So I hope the good players keep playing. That's what my hope is. That's what I tried to do. And now you hope that the next generation does that and I hope they have the tools necessary to do that."
