Aaron Rodgers is not giving in. Even though almost every door to continue his career has closed one by one, the Super Bowl XLV champion still hasn’t made a definitive decision regarding his near future. Even worse, he just closed one of his last remaining opportunities.
Rodgers’ soap opera has now stretched for nearly five months, ever since the New York Jets thanked him a few days after the close of their regular season. Since then, the 20-year veteran has been linked to almost every team that needed a quarterback, but none of those options have yielded results.
Rodgers’ remaining options are the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New Orleans Saints, who are in a bind following Derek Carr’s unexpected retirement. Despite these being his last two avenues of escape, Rodgers has just closed one of them and isn’t looking back.
Saints or Steelers? Rodgers has already chosen one
During a Q&A session at a concert in Austin, Texas, a Louisiana fan asked if Rodgers would be willing to play for the Saints. The answer was something no one expected, given the quarterback’s situation: a simple and categorical “No.”
With a laugh, Rodgers explained, “I’ve played there a couple of times. But no, I’m too old. I don’t want to live in Louisiana. Sorry.” At least the four-time MVP isn’t lacking in sincerity; however, with his future in the balance, one would have thought he would at least keep his options open.
Later in the same session, Rodgers seemed to confirm his decision by saying, “There’s a team that might play in Chicago this year.” In that regard, it’s worth remembering that the Steelers will be visiting the Bears this season.
Were the Saints an option?
Although there was speculation surrounding Rodgers’ move to New Orleans when Derek Carr announced his retirement a few weeks ago, neither side confirmed an approach. Furthermore, NOLA.com insider Jeff Duncan reported last week that the Saints never seriously considered signing Rodgers.
Rodgers will have to make a decision soon. Although Steelers owner Art Rooney II recently stated that they can wait a little longer for the veteran, with the regular season slowly approaching, they will soon have to move on, leaving behind one of the best quarterbacks of the last two decades.
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