Aaron Rodgers on Pat McAfee Show says his ‘intention’ is to ‘play for the New York Jets’

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Aaron Rodgers has kept fans and the media in the dark for weeks about his future.

But on “The Pat McAfee Show” on YouTube and Sirius XM Wednesday afternoon, Rodgers finally broke his silence and gave viewers clarity about his future.

“At this point, as I sit here, I think since Friday, I’ve made it clear that my intention was to play, and my intention was to play for the New York Jets,” Rodgers said with an audience that topped 480,000 for the ex-NFL punter’s YouTube show.

“I haven’t been holding anything up at this point. It’s been compensation the Packers are trying to get for me, kind of digging their heels in.”

The Packers and Rodgers have been dancing around a possible divorce for months since the end of the 2022 season, in which Green Bay finished 8-9 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2018. Green Bay has made it known that they believe 2020 first-round draft pick Jordan Love, who sat behind Rodgers for three seasons, is ready to be a starter in the NFL.

Last year, Rodgers said he got the sense the Packers were ready to move on to Love as their starter, but they failed to communicate a final decision with him. After the end of the regular season, Rodgers did not immediately announce a decision about his future as he vowed not to hold the Packers hostage as he needed to decide to retire, return to Green Bay or play for another team.

Rodgers went on a darkness retreat to contemplate the next chapter of his life in February. But after Rodgers returned from his five-day retreat, he felt like the Packers’ position on him possibly returning changed. He said previously the organization had told him to take as long as he wanted and that they wanted him to retire a Packer.

“I’m not exactly sure what that was, but something changed,” the four-time NFL MVP said. “I got back to my phone after five days, I realized there had been a little bit of a shift. I heard from multiple people that I trust around the league that there was some shopping going on and they were actually interested in moving me.

“At this point, I went into the darkness, 90 percent retired and 10 percent playing. That’s where my mind was as I hadn’t gotten back into my workouts yet and I thought that was best for me.

“It was clear to me at that point as the Packers were going to say the right thing publicly, they were ready to move on. I don’t know what changed that or what moved that. Again, there are no victims here, I love Green Bay, I love the fan base, the fan base is incredible, I live for playing for them and Lambeau, I just wish in the beginning of the offseason, that would have been the conversation.”

Last week, Packers president and CEO Mark Murphy told a television network in Green Bay that the team granted the Jets permission to talk to Rodgers. Days before Murphy’s interview, Jets owner Woody Johnson, general manager Joe Douglas, coach Robert Saleh and offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett flew out to California to meet with Rodgers at his home.

Since then, rumors have swirled about the Jets wanting to land Rodgers as their top veteran quarterback choice all offseason. But no deal has been officially agreed upon as the Jets and Packers continue to work on details of a trade for Rodgers.

Rodgers, 39, is scheduled to make $59.5 million guaranteed from a three-year, $150 million contract extension he signed last year. He is scheduled to account for $31.62 million against the cap for 2023, but the Jets and Rodgers will likely restructure his contract before any deal happens.

“This isn’t decision day,” Rodgers said Wednesday. “This isn’t me deciding or announcing to the world what’s going on. In fact, it has already happened, we are already days past this.

“This is kind of clearing things up for everybody interested, which it seems to be a lot of people interested. Coming on this show was never to announce I am retiring or I’m coming back. This was to tell you the state of affairs on where we sit today on March 15.”

One of the main reasons the Jets were expected to land Rodgers was they replaced Mike LaFleur with Hackett, who was Rodgers’ offensive coordinator with the Packers from 2019-21 as they won 13 games each of those three seasons. Rodgers won two NFL MVPs when Hackett was the Packers’ offensive coordinator.

In the 2020 and 2021 seasons, Rodgers threw for a combined 8,414 yards, 85 touchdowns with just nine interceptions. While he had a ton of success with Hackett as his offensive coordinator, Rodgers clarified that signing Hackett wasn’t done to acquire Rodgers from the Packers.

“Anybody that’s been around Nathaniel Hackett knows he brings a lot of energy, a lot of fun and he is an incredible teacher of the game and he is a really good human being,” Rodgers said.

“For people to say it was done just in an attempt to lure me, it is a total disservice to Nathaniel Hackett and what he has accomplished in his career.”

For years, the Jets failed to have consistency at the quarterback position. At the beginning of last season, Saleh continued to back 2021 second-overall pick Zach Wilson and said he would take receipts on all the people who continually mock the team.

But halfway through the year, Saleh benched Wilson after poor play and for lack of accountability following an embarrassing 10-3 November loss to the Patriots. In that game, Wilson completed 9 of 22 passes for 77 yards and said he didn’t take any responsibility for the loss.

Gang Green also started Mike White and Joe Flacco at different points throughout the 2022 season. The Jets finished 25th in total offense (318.2 yards per game) and 29th in points scored (17.4).

After a 7-4 start entering December, the Jets lost six consecutive games to end the season and missed the playoffs for the 12th consecutive year. Amid that stretch, the Jets failed to score a touchdown in their final three games.

What might have intrigued Rodgers to join the Jets was their defense. Last year, the Jets defense finished fourth in the league in total defense (311.1 yards per game) and points allowed (18.6).

“There are a lot of reasons why the Jets are attractive,” Rodgers said. “There’s one coach there that has meant more to me than any coach I’ve ever had and he happens to be the coordinator there.

“It was interest from them and quite a few other teams.”

While Rodgers might not officially be a Jet yet, he already has had some influence on what the organization has done in free agency. Gang Green agreed to a four-year contract with former Packers and Rodgers teammate Allen Lazard. The Jets are also reportedly interested in signing Packers wide receiver Randall Cobb and tight end Marcedes Lewis.

Some media publications reported Rodgers went to the Jets with a wishlist of demands, but he denied the report.

“I will speak to myself,” Rodgers said. “I’m sure there will be people that have their sources, from what I’ve seen, I had a sheet of paper when I met with the Jets and I said sign these people and that’s not the reality, that’s ridiculous.”

“That’s so stupid to think I would do it number one. Did they ask about certain guys that I played over the years, of course. Did they talk glowingly about teammates that I love, yeah why wouldn’t you?”

“Do I love those guys on the list, of course. Do I make demands about certain people...it goes to people want these things to be so true.”