When Aaron Rodgers walked off Lambeau Field after the Green Bay Packers were eliminated from the playoffs by the Detroit Lions Sunday night, speculation immediately began that he may have played his last game in Green Bay — or anywhere.
Rodgers only added fuel to that speculation in his postgame press conference.
“At some point, the carousel comes to a stop, and it’s time to get off,” Rodgers said, per FOX Sports’ Carmen Vitali. “I think you kind of know when that is, and that’s what needs to be contemplated. … I wouldn’t have any regrets walking away.”
So what’s next for the former NFL MVP?
Rodgers is owed nearly $60 million in guaranteed money next season as part of the contract extension he signed with the Packers in early 2022.
Could Rodgers really retire after an 18-season Hall of Fame career? Would he finally attempt to play elsewhere as he has hinted he would do in the past? Or will he once again return to the Packers for another shot at a second Super Bowl ring?
FOX Bet has the latest hypothetical odds on Rodgers’ future.
ODDS ON AARON RODGERS RETIRING BEFORE 2023 SEASON
- Yes: +160 (bet $10 to win $26 total)
- No: -200 (bet $10 to win $15 total)
ODDS ON AARON RODGERS’ NEXT TEAM (IF NO RETIREMENT)
- Green Bay Packers -150 (bet $10 to win $16.67 total)
- New York Jets +300 (bet $10 to win $40 total)
- New Orleans Saints +400 (bet $10 to win $50 total)
- San Francisco 49ers +550 (bet $10 to $65 total)
- Seattle Seahawks +650 (bet $10 to $65 total)
*Odds as of 11/9/2022
Rodgers is still a solid favorite to keep playing, and the Packers are still the favorites to retain him if he does.
“It’s hard to imagine Rodgers walking away from $60 million, despite his recent comments,” said FOX Bet trading operations senior manager Dylan Brossman. “We ultimately believe he will be back as a Packer for at least one more season. Missing the playoffs after a home loss to the Lions is far from a storybook ending for one of the NFL’s greatest quarterbacks of all time.”
What does Aaron Rodgers’ future look like with the Green Bay Packers?
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If Rodgers does want to play elsewhere, though, he will have plenty of options. One could be following the path that his former teammate Brett Farve did by going from the Packers to the Jets, who have an exciting young core of talent on both sides but plenty of questions at quarterback after the struggles of former No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson in his second NFL season.
The Saints could also be in the market for a veteran quarterback, especially after stumbling to a 7-10 finish in Dennis Allen’s first year as head coach. Allen is set to return, but it remains to be seen whether Jameis Winston or Andy Dalton will after both struggled in 2022.
The 49ers, like the Jets, have not gotten a lot of production from their top-3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft at quarterback. Trey Lance only played six quarters to start the 2022 season before suffering a season-ending ankle injury in Week 2. The 49ers have a loaded roster and have gotten surprisingly solid performances from sixth-round rookie Brock Purdy at quarterback after Jimmy Garoppolo also got hurt.
If Rodgers does opt to seek out other teams, though, could the 49ers wipe the slate clean and go all-in on the future Hall of Famer? Rodgers won back-to-back MVPs in the offense of Matt LaFleur, a prominent branch off the Shanahan coaching tree. He would likely have an easy transition into the offensive scheme of Kyle Shanahan himself.
Does Aaron Rodgers deserve blame for Packers missing out on playoffs?
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The 49ers’ NFC West rival, the Seahawks, would be an even more intriguing destination for Rodgers for a number of reasons. Rodgers and the Seahawks are longtime playoff foes, and Seattle just edged Green Bay for the final postseason berth in the NFC. Seattle also already has a short-term veteran quarterback in Geno Smith, who enjoyed a stunning bounce-back season in his first year as the Seahawks’ starter. Are the Seahawks in win-now mode enough to discard Smith for Rodgers? Seattle does the draft capital to make a deal happen.
Stay tuned to FOX Sports to see how another offseason of Rodgers drama unfolds.
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