Total Pro Sports
Aaron Rodgers may be close to signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but he wants to “officially” end things where they began.
Rodgers was released by the New York Jets in March, sending the 41-year-old to free agency for the first time in his career. The future Hall of Famer has been in contact with the Steelers, but there’s still no timeline on when he’ll decide between Pittsburgh and retirement.
His forgettable two-year stint with the Jets came after an awkward breakup with the Green Bay Packers following an 18-year marriage. Despite the rocky end to his time in Titletown, though, Rodgers is open to the idea of retiring as a Packer.
During a Q&A at an event hosted by rapper Mike Stud, Rodgers was asked if he’d formally retire as a member of the organization that drafted him. The four-time MVP doesn’t think it’s a necessity, but he’d happily do so if the Packers approached him on the matter:
“You know, I’ve thought about that and I don’t understand what the reason for that is. You know, at the same time, I grew up a Niner fan and most of my favorite players retired as a Niner. You know, Jerry Rice, who went to three other teams, really, he came back and retired as a Niner. So I understand the cool thing about it but, if I didn’t do it, would that make a difference in how I’m viewed in the Packers’ eyes?…
If I do or if I don’t, I don’t think it should make a difference. I’m not sure yet. If they approach me about it, I probably would. When I retire, in four years I’m gonna go into the Packer Hall of Fame — may or may not get my number retired — whether they do or not that’s fine. But in four years I’ll be in the Packer Hall of Fame…There’s a lot of love from me and how I feel about the team.”
It’s common in the NFL for a player to sign a “one-day contract” to retire with their old team, so this was a good question to put forward. But other great quarterbacks like Tom Brady and Peyton Manning didn’t retire with their original teams (the Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots, respectively). Neither did Brett Favre, the very man Rodgers succeeded in Green Bay, for that matter.
So it’s not the end of the world if Rodgers doesn’t do so. Neither did Brett Favre, the very man Rodgers succeeded in Green Bay, for that matter.
The Steelers have indicated that there’s no rush on a decision from Rodgers, so the Super Bowl 45 champion can drag this on for a while longer, if he so desires. Pittsburgh is also adamant that they’re comfortable with Mason Rudolph as the QB1, in the event that Rodgers decides to retire.
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