3 reasons why Aaron Rodgers has “most likely” played his last NFL game

The NFL is an unpredictable league. Each of the 32 teams enters the regular season with a roster that looks different from their previous years. Losing great players, especially future Hall of Famers, is seldom a good thing, but the game believes in perpetual succession and the show must go on. There has been pin-drop silence surrounding Aaron Rodgers and his future.

The quarterback’s stay with the New York Jets was short-lived, and after the bitter parting of ways, Rodgers is back to doing what now seems like an annual evaluation of his life and determining if he will be back for Year 21.

The news has been positive, with the majority of analysts suggesting he will return and sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers. For weeks, Rodgers and the Steelers have been in touch, and the four-time MVP had a promising visit to their facility earlier this month.

However, the underlying hint of skepticism on the minds of all fans is the same. If Aaron Rodgers intends to play for Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers, then what is the reluctance all about? Either sign or do not. If his mind was made up, then he would not hesitate to sign on the dotted line and get a head start to prepare for the next season with his teammates.

3. Teams view Aaron Rodgers as a red flag

Unfortunately, there is some truth to that heading. For years, Rodgers has done nothing but cement his legacy as one of the greats to play football. However, in the past few years, his actions off the field have taken a toll on his goodwill with fans and NFL front offices. His tenure with the New York Jets was the last straw, and now, apart from Pittsburgh, as far as public knowledge is concerned, no team is interested in bringing him on board.

It is disrespectful to a quarterback who, in his ‘down year,’ went on to throw for 3,897 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions with a passer rating of 90.5. But that is the harsh truth. The Jets gave in to all of his demands, from bringing back Randall Cobb to Davante Adams. That offense was something special, and yet, the franchise failed to make it to the playoffs.

There was dysfunction within the team. However, Rodgers has taken all the blame for the team’s offensive failures. Signing him tore the Jets apart; the team fired HC Robert Saleh and still found no success. The chronology of these events is hard to get past from an NFL GM’s perspective.

Almost all teams have made their decisions concerning their quarterbacks. The few teams that are yet to do so have put their faith in the NFL Draft. At this moment, it is either the Pittsburgh Steelers or retirement for Aaron Rodgers. Teams are reluctant to take a chance on him at this stage in his career, and that is not good news for his prospects of playing in the NFL.

2. Aaron Rodgers’ indecisiveness

Patience is a virtue. Unfortunately, it is a virtue that becomes easy to forget for Head Coaches and General Managers in the NFL. Teams prefer to make the majority of their moves in the days leading up to the NFL Draft. This enables them to figure out their positional requirements and draft fresh talent accordingly.

There is no room for indecisiveness of one player, as it comes at the opportunity cost of signing another player. Rodgers prefers to delay his decision to sign. The same happened with the Jets, he did not sign until a few days before the 2023 NFL Draft. However, there was one thing different about the Jets’ situation.

Everybody knew Aaron Rodgers was going to New York. While he did not officially sign a contract, his voice was considered while the team was signing players to their roster; essentially, Rodgers was a done deal, and the contract signing was nothing more than a mere formality at that point.

However, that is not the case now. Pittsburgh signed Mason Rudolph to their squad, and HC Mike Tomlin has made it clear that he is willing to start the season with him as his starter. The team did sign DK Metcalf, but that was before Tomlin and Rodgers got a chance to meet, so he had nothing to do with the team adding a solid player to their offense.

After the stretch that he went through, no team should wait on him until the last moment. Had the whole Jets chapter not happened in his life, then his delaying this decision could have been justified, but at this point, the indecisiveness hints that the quarterback is not entirely sold on the idea of returning to the league.

1. He has nothing left to prove

In the NFL’s 100+ year history, there have been thousands of quarterbacks to have played and gone. However, Aaron Rodgers is a name that will be immortalized in the game’s history. A four-time league MVP, a Super Bowl MVP, a Super Bowl champion, and a 10x Pro Bowler. These are accomplishments that have earned him a guaranteed spot in the Hall of Fame if he chooses to retire.

He has nothing left to prove. Rodgers won a ring, he’s been the best at his position on multiple occasions, and he has a highlight reel that fans can spend an entire night watching. Rodgers has gone above and beyond what was expected of him. The last two years were not pleasant for him, but the 18 successful seasons were amazing.

At 41 years of age, he is in a different space, both physically and mentally. Recently, Rodgers entered a serious relationship with a woman whose identity remains under wraps. He has accumulated enough wealth to do as he pleases and live his life on his terms. What would be the point of returning for one more year unless he goes on to win a Super Bowl? This ought to be the most compelling reason for him to walk away from the game.

Irrespective of his decision, he is a First Ballot Hall of Famer. If there is one thing about Aaron Rodgers, it is impossible to plot that man’s next move.