Photo: Quinn Harris/Getty
After 18 years with the Green Bay Packers,Aaron Rodgersis readying for a trade to the New York Jets.
The longtime Green Bay Packers quarterback, who led the team to a Super Bowl win in 2011, made the announcementin a live podcast tapingon Wednesday.
Rodgers, 39, said that he was “90%” certain he would retire, but then heard the Jets were interested in acquiring him and that the Packers were “ready to move on” to backup quarterback Jordan Love.
Rodgers is still under contract with the Packers for another two seasons and needs the team to officially trade him, but said that he wants to play for the Jets.
“I still have a fire and I want to play,” he told Pat McAfee, later explaining: “It is my intention to play for the New York Jets, but I still have a contract with the Packers.”
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The news comes after a lackluster 2022 for the Packers, which saw them eliminated from playoff contention with a loss to the Detroit Lions in the final game of the season.
After the game, Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams approached Rodgers to ask if he’d like to swap jerseys, to which Rodgers replied, “I’m gonna hold on to this one.”
The response led many to believe that Rodgers was considering retirement, or, at the very least, the game was his last with the Wisconsin-based franchise.
Weeks later, after Rodgers entered adarkness retreatto think about his future, rumors began to spread of an unexpected team becoming a frontrunner for the quarterback.
On March 13,Trey Wingo of Pro Football Networkreported that Rodgers would be traded to the Jets in a massive blockbuster deal.
“Hearing Rodgers to the Jets is done,” Wingo wrote. “History about to repeat itself between New York and Green Bay. Time is indeed a flat circle.”
Aaron Rodgers.Kevin Sabitus/Getty
The Packers originally drafted Rodgers out of the University of California, Berkeley, in 2005, and hespent his first three seasons playing back-up to an aging Brett Favre. He would eventually take over the starting quarterback position in 2008, while Favre joined the New York Jets.
Rodgers then helped the Packers advance to their first Super Bowl win since 1996, leading the team to a 31-25 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2010.
While Rodgers has not yet won another Super Bowl, he has kept the Packers championship contenders throughout much of his career and was named NFL MVP four times in 2011, 2014, 2020, and 2021.
He isone of only five NFL playersto win back-to-back NFL MVP awards, along with former fullback Jim Brown, and former quarterbacks Joe Montana, Brett Favre, and Peyton Manning.
“I’m so thankful for the memories and the moments over the years,” Rodgers saidafter winning his most recent MVP award in February 2022, “This is a special league that provides you so many incredible friendships that last longer than your time in the league.”
Rodgers has recently beenlinkedto modelMallory Edens, the daughter of one of the Milwaukee Bucks' primary owners, Wes Edens.
Previously, Rodgers was withBig Little LiesactressShailene Woodley. The football starannounced their engagementwhile accepting the award for the 2020 NFL MVP. A few days before the event, sources confirmed to PEOPLE that the duo had begun dating.
In February 2022, a source close to Rodgers confirmed to PEOPLE that the couple had split,calling off their engagement.
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“It was an amicable split; it just wasn’t working,” the source said. “They’re very different people with busy careers and there were obstacles that they couldn’t surmount. They will remain friendly; there’s no bad blood and no drama. It just didn’t work out for them.”
After their split, Rodgers shared Instagram photos of the two cuddled up together, writing “I love you and am grateful for you” and called Woodley an “amazing partner to do life with” onThe Pat McAfee Show.Theysplit up again in April2022.
Rodgers also dated former race car driverDanica Patrickfor two years before they split in July 2020.
“I was dating Danica and that relationship was great for me because she is on her own journey and spirituality is important to her,” he said on an episode of theAubrey Marcus Podcast. “We both were finding our way, learning about different things [and] practicing meditation techniques.”
source: people.com
