Aaron Rodgers hasn't officially said 2021 will be his last season with the Green Bay Packers, even if all signs are pointing in that direction. Rodgers has arrived on time for Packers training camp with a reworked contract in sight, one that paves the way for his potential exit after this year.
The Packers quarterback had an Instagram story over the weekend signaling "The Last Dance" with the organization that drafted him. John Kuhn, who played with Rodgers for nine seasons, believes 2021 is the final year Rodgers will be with the team.
"Boy it's hard to look at the writing on the wall and think that's not the case," Kuhn said to Zach Gelb on CBS Sports Radio Monday night. "I think the Packers need to do something exceptional this year and maybe something out of the ordinary -- not just make a deep playoff run -- but maybe find a way to add a position here or there before the trade deadline. Or maybe make a trade before the beginning of the season that proves 'hey, we're in it to win it.'"
The ice has thawed a bit on Rodgers' relationship with Green Bay, as he seeks to bring the franchise its fifth Super Bowl title. The Packers are one of two teams (the Kansas City Chiefs are the other) that have reached the conference championship game in each of the past two seasons -- yet Green Bay doesn't have a Super Bowl to show for it.
That's not the fault of Rodgers, who has played at MVP level in each of those two seasons. Of quarterbacks with 750 pass attempts, Rodgers has the most touchdown passes (74) with the fewest interceptions (nine) and is the only player with an interception percentage under one (0.82). His 26 wins are also the most in the league. Rodgers also ranks third in touchdown percentage (6.8), and eighth in completion percentage (66.2) and passing yards (8,301).
Kuhn believes the Packers need more than a Super Bowl appearance to make sure Rodgers plays his final years in Green Bay. The Packers have to change the way they do business, which the franchise hasn't done with former superstar players in the past. That could be the determining factor toward Rodgers' departure.
"He's looking at the last few holes of his back nine," Kuhn said. "Even though Tom Brady is still playing at 44, that's an anomaly right there. The reality is he's got three, five, six years left in this thing. If he feels this year the Packers don't go 'all in,' that just might be all the signs he needs to leave."