Aaron Rodgers has some thoughts about the idea he’d finish his career away from Packers

Aaron Rodgers is having the best season he’s had in a while, and existential questions about the future won’t bring him down now. 

A theme throughout Aaron Rodgers’ career has been questions about his potential.

What if he had a running game? What if he had first-round receiving talent? What if he lightened up and had fun?

That last question is getting the loudest answer we’ve heard from Rodgers in a while. For the first time, it feels like the California kid is leaning into chill vibes and is loosening up his personality and his play. The result has been a whole new dimension to an already legendary player and the rest of the league looks to be in trouble.

But one lingering question hangs over everything as Rodgers gets deeper into his career and closer to its twilight. In a season where Tom Brady is wearing a Buccaneers uniform, a new question about Rodgers has emerged: Where will he finish his career?

Rodgers didn’t shoot down the notion that he’d play somewhere else to finish his career but he remains steadfast in the idea that he’s not too concerned about things beyond this season. More importantly, Rodgers preached that he wouldn’t be bitter with the Packers if they eventually decided to move on.

“I understand that [playing somewhere else] is a very real possibility. That’s part of the growth, finding peace about all of that and not have any bitterness about the situation or potential reality, or towards the organization,” Rodgers said to Erin Andrews on FOX NFL Sunday. “Obviously it would be a sad reality because I love this place and spent so many years here, but that’s life sometimes.”

There’s a lot to unpack there, starting with Rodgers’ frankness with which he talks about the idea of finishing his career outside of Green Bay. We’ve seen legendary quarterbacks do this throughout history — Brady being that most recent example — but the lack of animosity is the key takeaway.

When the Packers drafted Jordan Love in the first round this past year, we all assumed Rodgers would be angsty and reject the idea of the beginning of the end happening this way. After all, Rodgers came into power by way of an ugly divorce with Brett Favre, another legendary Packers quarterback.

Rodgers playing against type and embracing reality shouldn’t be as shocking as it is, but it’s another sign that this is a different player and person than who we’ve seen in the past. The results on the field speak for themselves, and while Rodgers may not be bothered by the idea of the Packers moving on, with the way he’s playing there won’t be a need to bring that topic up for a while.