So, is there really a chance Aaron Rodgers leaves the Green Bay Packers this offseason?
Well, it's complicated.
After Sunday night's NFC Championship Game loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Rodgers sounded as if he is prepared to leave the only NFL franchise he ever has played for. His non-committal press conference sent shockwaves around the league, prompting, among other things, the predictable New England Patriots chatter.
Obviously, there are many factors in play, including Rodgers' age (37), contract (three years left on current deal) and the presence of 2020 first-round pick Jordan Love, the potential Packers quarterback of the future.
ESPN's Adam Schefter offered his take of the situation during a Monday morning appearance on "Get Up!"
Here's what he said:
"If you listened to the call yesterday, he sound like a guy who was preparing to walk away from Green Bay. Now, it's right after the game, so it's a highly emotional time. It's a long, trying season for everybody. Everybody's trying to get through and, clearly, Aaron Rodgers, as he himself said, wants to step back and gather some time and take some time to make a decision.
"But let's just break this down. He himself said last week that his future was a "beautiful mystery" -- those are the words he used. ... We know that he was not particularly enthralled with the team's selection of Jordan Love. We know he's at the point of his career where, clearly, he's frustrated at these playoff defeats. Now, again, let's not get ahead of ourselves. He's under contract to the Green Bay Packers for three more seasons. So, they control him for three more seasons -- unless Aaron Rodgers says, 'I'm not gonna play there anymore, I'm gonna retire, I'm gonna go rogue here and force my way outta there and I wanna be traded.
... Now, I'm not telling you that it goes that way. I'm just telling you that was an unusual press conference. ... And people think the Packers controls him when, in fact, Aaron Rodgers can flip it rather quickly."
Buckle up, NFL fans: This could be a bumpy offseason ride for Rodgers and the Packers.
As for where the future Hall of Famer could play next season, the speculation already has begun.
