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Aaron Rodgers was frustrated following the Packers’ loss to the Buccaneers in the NFC Championship game, and deservedly so. Not only did Green Bay lose, but Rodgers also had the ball taken out of his hands in crunch time when head coach Matt LaFleur elected to kick a field goal with just over two minutes left in the game.
Rodgers made a very interesting statement during his post-game press conference saying “a lot of guys futures, they’re uncertain, myself included.” This sent Green Bay fans and media members into a frenzy as some believed Rodgers was perhaps contemplating retirement.
Packers fans can breathe a bit easier, however, because during his weekly segment on ‘The Pat McAfee Show’ on Tuesday, Rodgers explained what he meant with his ‘uncertain’ statement while explaining he should be back in Green Bay next season.
He did make it a point to explain that there aren’t any certainties in the NFL, which will likely continue to fuel the trade and retirement rumors surrounding Rodgers’ name.
“I don’t think I said anything that I haven’t said before,” Rodgers explained. “Ultimately my future is not in my control. It hit me in the moment, it was thinking about Aaron Jones and Corey Linsley and other guys we have under contract, I don’t know what they’re future is going to be, myself included. I don’t think there’s any reason I wouldn’t be back, but there’s not many absolutes in this business.”
“I don’t think people are used to hearing the truth from athletes,” he continued later in the conversation. “When they hear the truth, it’s so surprising…A reality, a certainty, is that my future is not in my hands. That’s really the case for all of us as players.”
"I don't feel like I said anything that I hadn't said before.. It was just more of a realization I think that ultimately my future is not necessarily in my control…
I don't think there's any reason I wouldn't be back"@AaronRodgers12 #PatMcAfeeShowLIVE pic.twitter.com/u1Qnjiugv6
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 26, 2021
Rodgers’ weekly spots with McAfee and AJ Hawk have been great throughout the NFL season and this latest clip is the perfect example of why. Having a future Hall of Famer sit down in a relaxed environment like that, with no public relations people around him, no pre-rehearsed questions or statements, and just honest conversation is both refreshing and appreciated.