Aaron Rodgers broke his silence during an unexpected interview on The Pat McAfee Show. The quarterback was very cautious not to reveal whether he will sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but he did confirm that retirement is a possibility due to personal off-the-field situations.
“I’ll set it all straight. I have no problem. I’m on a different phase of my life. I’m 41 years old. I’m in a serious relationship. I have off the field stuff going on that requires my attention. I have a couple of people in my inner circle who are really battling some difficult stuff. It’s been an interesting break for me. So, I have a lot of things that are taking my attention and have, beginning really in January, away from football. To make a commitment to a team is a big thing. I had a lot of great conversations with a lot of teams. I’ve been up front with all of them. I don’t have any leaks. Starting with the money thing. I told them it ain’t about the money. I don’t care. I never once said that I need a multi-year deal or a $30 million or $40 million. I’ll play for 10 or whatever.”
Rodgers wants to fight for one last Super Bowl, but during the conversation with McAfee, he mentioned several times that there are personal issues that could lead him to say goodbye to football. Because of that, there’s still no final decision.
Is Aaron Rodgers retiring from football?
Aaron Rodgers clearly left the door open to retirement during the interview on The Pat McAfee Show. When he was asked directly about that possibility, this was his surprising response.
“The stuff I’m dealing off the field in my inner circle. That has to take my attention now. I wasn’t holding anybody hostage. I was honest from the jump about where I was at mentally and some of the constraints that I have in my life right now. I’m hoping to anything and attached to nothing. So, yeah, retirement still could be a possibility, but, right now, my focus is on my personal life. That’s what I told the coaches. It’s all been very honest. I don’t need to dive into it. It’s very important to me. There are a lot of silly narratives out there.”