During the Pat McAfee Show on Wed., March 15, Aaron Rodgers was slotted in to come in and talk to the guys post-darkness retreat, while also to put to rest some of the things said about him since his last time on the show. In casual fashion, the PMS crew and Aaron Rodgers got to business. The two parties, due to frequent interaction, have built a rapport that is viewed as friends talking about what's going on in their lives.
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While my football fandom has forced me to feel a certain way about Aaron Rodgers, I've come to really enjoy how Pat McAfee's show interviews their guests, especially guests as "polarizing" as Aaron Rodgers has become. Nowadays, interviews from traditional media can feel very forced and full of nothing burgers.
However, with podcasts like Pardon My Take and the Pat McAfee Show, interviews between the media and players, coaches, and other executives within sports, are much more organic.
So, what? Aaron Rodgers talked about his feelings and what his new favorite drink options are from Starbucks?
No, no, no. Much better than that.
Aaron Rodgers Announces Intention of Playing for the New York Jets
Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images
During this conversation between friends, Aaron Rodgers felt open enough to share with 500,000+ people on YouTube that his "intentions are to play and to play as a New York Jet."
Throughout the entire interview, Rodgers spoke about a lot. He spoke on the fact that he was 90% ready to retire at the end of the season. In fact, that's what prompted Rodgers and Cobb to walk off the field together in their last game of the 2022-23 season. Rodgers had an idea that he was done after that.
That said, after his time in the infamous darkness retreat, and once he was able to get some real workouts in him to see if his body was ready, he made the decision he was coming back.
"When I went into the darkness I was 90% retiring.. when I came out I heard from multiple people that the Packers were interested in moving me"@AaronRodgers12 #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/hBSIXvITcx
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 15, 2023
Then, relayed via Rodgers, he felt as if the Packers weren't really in favor of the idea of Aaron Rodgers as their starting quarterback. Something happened between the Packers and Rodgers, where it was becoming more of a belief that Rodgers wasn't coming back to play in Green Bay.
While an emotional process— for clear reasons— Rodgers was granted permission to seek a trade partner, in which he found the New York Jets.
As quoted by Rodgers, the New York Jets are an attractive team for a quarterback.
Aaron Rodgers says Nathaniel Hackett was a key influence for him: “There’s a lot of reasons why the #Jets are attractive, but there’s one coach who’s meant as much to me as any coach I’ve ever had.” @PatMcAfeeShow
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) March 15, 2023
The biggest attraction, however, is Rodgers' former offensive coordinator in Green Bay: Nathaniel Hackett.
While Hackett's experiment in Denver didn't go as planned, Rodgers had nothing but great things to say about Hackett as a coach. Now, Aaron Rodgers is known to be strategic about what he says when he knows the cameras are rolling and everything is on the record.
This became evident during the time in which he had to clarify his usage of the word "immunized" instead of "vaccinated". At that point in time, Aaron Rodgers made it very clear he was not a fan of the media or how they treated some people, specifically him. "Everybody that wanted to jump on me and trash me did and showed their true colors," Rodgers said. "Very few people in the media stuck by me."
So, with that said, was what Aaron Rodgers said today true? Or was he using the Pat McAfee Show platform to dupe the media? Did he do this to get a rise out of people, just to go back to Green Bay or retire?
Does Aaron Rodgers' Past Dislike of the Media Mean His Jets Comments are Fake?
Photo by David Berding/Getty Images
This brings up a few questions, certainly.
Aaron Rodgers, especially as of recent, has been openly against the limelight. Yet, every time he's trending to an extreme, he seems to be willing to speak on a large platform. What would be the best way to get back at all the people who have said "untrue" things about him? Dupe them on one of the bigger live platforms people can access.
No, it's not the most likely thing in the world, but it's possible. And if Aaron Rodgers loves one thing, it's getting revenge on those who have wronged him. At least that's how it seems from the outside looking in.
All-in-all, whether Aaron Rodgers actually does go to the Jets or not, I'm surely ready for an off-season without Aaron Rodgers drama. It's been fun while it's lasted— not— but it's time to wrap the attention show up.
