Aaron Rodgers would need time to consider if he would return to Green Bay to be honored by the Packers.
Rodgers said Thursday he wouldn’t be a lock to accept the offer if the Packers wanted to follow suit with a ceremony similar to the Brett Favre jersey retirement and ring of honor induction in 2015.
“I think there’s some people that have a lot of affection for me, and I would assume we’re talking four or five years from now that there will be fans who still have appreciation for what I’ve done, especially after so much time has passed,” Rodgers said in an ESPN Milwaukee radio interview. “I think there’s certain people in the building who wouldn’t be totally on board, and maybe I wouldn’t be on board if they were still there as well.”
Rodgers did not name any particular current or former employee of the Packers. General manager Brian Gutekunst and head coach Matt LaFleur were in the same positions when Rodgers was traded to the Jets.
Rodgers admitted there were aspects of the split from Green Bay he could’ve “handled better.” With Rodgers entrenched as the starter, he was not pleased when Gutekunst drafted Jordan Love in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft rather than adding a player who was able to make the team better immediately.
Favre also left Green Bay on rocky terms, joining the Jets ahead of the 2008 season, but entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame representing the Packers’ franchise when he was inducted in 2016.
It was evident time had yet to heal some of Rodgers’ wounds from the divorce.
“There’s definitely some things I could’ve done to make those guys a little more comfortable I guess,” Rodgers told ESPN Milwaukee. “But the GM wanted me out of there, so it was only a matter of time. They were just looking for one non-MVP season and that was going to be that. (I) didn’t understand it, didn’t necessarily agree with it. I just didn’t like the way it was handled, and obviously I could have probably handled it better. But on the flip side, it probably made it a little easier on Jordan.”
