Packers will retire Aaron Rodgers’ number ‘at the appropriate time’

Longtime Green Bay Packers president Mark Murphy spoke candidly about Aaron Rodgers, his legacy and his trade to the New York Jets at his team’s annual shareholders meeting at Lambeau Field on Monday.

“He (Rodgers) is one of the greatest players in the history of Packers,” Murphy said. “I want to thank him for all he did during his marvelous 18-year career.”

Murphy went on to say that the organization “will bring him back and retire his number at the appropriate time.”

While Murphy thanked Rodgers for his contributions to the franchise, he also made it clear that the Packers were ready to move forward with fourth-year QB and soon-to-be first-year starter Jordan Love.

The 24-year-old quarterback joined the Packers in 2020 as a first-round NFL Draft pick. He has sat behind Rodgers all four years.

Although Rodgers’ had 18 seasons with the Packers, its offense is relatively young with just three players in their 30s — offensive tackle David Bakhtiari, outside linebacker Preston Smith and inside linebacker De’Vondre Campbell.

“There will probably be some ups and downs with Jordan and we’ve got young receivers, but we’ve got a lot of talent there and I think our thought is – or our hope is – that they’ll all get better and grow together,” Murphy said, according to The Associated Press.

Murphy declared that now is the time to make a change and start a new quarterback. In doing so, he praised general manager Brian Gutekunst for taking a risk and drafting Love as well as arranging a trade with the Jets.

“He was highly criticized when he drafted Jordan Love,” Murphy stated. “That draft, though, now put us in a position where we feel we can be competitive in the long term. There’s an old saying in the NFL, the best time to draft a quarterback is when you don’t need one.”

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Rodgers played his entire NFL career with the Packers prior to being traded to the Jets this offseason. He won four NFL MVPs and a Super Bowl during his tenure in Green Bay.

The Jets finished with a 7-10 record in the 2022-23 season. They struggled to get production from the quarterback position, however, their defense was among the best in the league. Rodgers’ addition to the team could very much pose a threat to the rest of the AFC East and could potentially lead the Jets to fight their way to their second Super Bowl all-time.

“We also think it’s a great opportunity for Aaron,” Murphy added. “Obviously, going to New York will help him from a career standpoint — not only as a player but when his career ends, and obviously the Jets have a talented team.”

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