Aaron Rodgers. Uncredited/AP/Shutterstock
Listening to his inner voice. Aaron Rodgers revealed that he is going to decide his NFL future while being isolated in darkness for nearly a week.
“I’m still in the art of contemplation about my future,” Rodgers, 39, said during the Tuesday, February 7, episode of the Pat McAfee Show. “That’s why I think it’s going to be important to get through this week and take my isolation retreat and contemplate all things [related to] my future.”
The Green Bay Packers quarterback explained that following the getaway he will “make a decision that is best for me moving forward. In the highest interest of my happiness and then move forward.”
Rodgers, who was drafted into the NFL in 2005, noted that he won’t be going into a “cave” to unwind, but he will be completely off the grid.
“It’s four nights of complete darkness. Not Alaska, no,” the four-time NFL MVP told listeners. “It’s a darkness retreat. I’ve had a number of friends who have done it and had some profound experiences.”
The former Jeopardy! guest host noted that the retreat has been on his “radar for a few years now” but it couldn’t come at a better time in his career.
“I thought it would be awesome to do regardless of where I was leaning after this season,” he said, revealing that he is leaving in a “couple of weeks” for the experience, which includes being alone in a “little house” with no music or sounds.
Rodgers added that his choice to go away will be an “opportunity to do a little self-reflection in some isolation, and after that, I feel like I’ll be a lot closer to that final, final decision.”
The professional athlete’s future in football has been a topic of conversation after rumors surfaced in 2021 that he wanted to be traded from the Packers. That same year, Rodgers surprised fans when he announced in February 2021 that he was engaged to Shailene Woodley. Nine months later, the NFL star turned heads again when he tested positive for COVID-19 in November 2021 after claiming he was “immunized.”
Us Weekly confirmed in February 2022 that Rodgers and Woodley, 31, had called off their engagement. Shortly after their split, the quarterback confirmed his return to Green Bay for the 2022 season.
The Packers’ lackluster record of 8-9, however, left many fans wondering what he’d do next. Rogers is now the senior-most quarterback in the league after Tom Brady retired “for good” earlier this month after 23 seasons.
“I have a ton of respect for him and what he’s accomplished. He’s one of one, that’s for sure,” Rodgers, who is rumored to be dating Mallory Edens, said on Tuesday, pointing out that his future retirement isn’t pegged to Brady’s exit. “The idea that I wouldn’t want to share a stage with Tom and J.J. Watt — [who also left the NFL after the 2022 season] — that’s ridiculous. Their decisions don’t impact my decisions.”
The former University of California, Berkley quarterback concluded: “I can’t help to think about football. It’s a love of mine. I’ve given my life to it. It’s always close to the front of my mind.”