Aaron Rodgers

The battle for NFL quarterback supremacy is headed to the links.

Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen are set to take part in the latest iteration of Capital One's The Match, which will take place Wednesday, June 1, on TNT. 

We tried to make this a tag team cage match but the lawyers said our contracts wouldn’t allow it…#CapitalOnesTheMatch is back, June 1st. Let’s kick their ass @AaronRodgers12 | @JoshAllenQB @PatrickMahomes pic.twitter.com/3ByQqBkIJR

— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) April 18, 2022

An artists rendering of me watching @JoshAllenQB’s approach after laying up on a par 4. pic.twitter.com/P66o4M1TGo

— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) April 18, 2022

Brady and Rodgers, the elder statesmen in the quarterback room, will take on their heir apparents in Mahomes and Allen in the 12-hole, match play event.

This will be the sixth iteration of Capital One's The Match and first to not feature a PGA golfer. 

Brady and Rodgers will participate in the event for the second straight summer. Bryson DeChambeau and Rodgers defeated Phil Mickelson and Brady 3-and-2 last July, but this time, the two veterans will be teammates on the links.

The vets will have a clear experience advantage on the links, but Mahomes and Allen are two of the NFL's most avid golfers. Allen said golf is his "favorite" activity during an appearance at this year's Pebble Beach Pro-Am, and Mahomes said he structures vacations around potential golf outings. 

“Golf has become a huge part of everything,” Mahomes told Dylan Deither of Golf.com last year. “When I plan trips, when I set up my offseason, I have to figure out places to play when I’m there. I’ve got this love for golf because I have to get better, and I compete, but it’s also somewhere I can relax and have an awesome time.”

The Wynn Las Vegas golf course will host for the second consecutive event. Brooks Koepka defeated Bryson DeChambeau 5-and-3 at the course in November.

Capitol One's The Match has raised $33 million for various charities and organizations and donated nearly 17 million meals to Feeding America since launching in 2018. 

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is reportedly expected to skip all of the team's voluntary offseason workouts ahead of the 2022 NFL season.

Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Tuesday (via Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk) that Rodgers' only attendance prior to training camp will be the Packers' mandatory minicamp in June.

The update doesn't come as much of a surprise. At 38, Rodgers doesn't need the extra offseason reps. He proved that last season when he stayed away from the franchise for the entire offseason amid a flurry of trade rumors before returning for the start of camp and winning his second straight NFL MVP Award.

No such standoff between the 10-time Pro Bowl selection and the Packers exists this year after he agreed to a new three-year, $150.8 million contract.

His absence from the voluntary activities will also give Green Bay an opportunity to get 2020 first-round pick Jordan Love more work within the offense.

Making such a significant investment in Love made it seemed like the Packers were planning on a transition at the sport's most important position, but Rodgers has continued to play at such a high level that his understudy has become an afterthought.

If Green Bay is going to stick with Rodgers for the long haul, and it certainly appears that's the case and rightfully so, the best thing that can happen is for Love to have strong showings throughout the offseason, training camp and exhibition contests to build trade value.

Packers CEO Mark Murphy told Packast's Tom Grossi (via Nick Shook of NFL.com) they want to see more from the 23-year-old Utah State product to gauge his development.

"We think he can be a good player, but we haven't seen enough," Murphy said. "So I think this preseason will be good for him."

Recouping some value on Love in a trade with a quarterback-needy team next offseason seems like the logical next step, especially if Rodgers continues to contend for MVP Awards, but the backup must show some upside after very limited snaps over his first two years.

Meanwhile, there may be some talk about the type of message Rodgers not taking part in voluntary activities sends to the rest of the roster, but that's nothing more than offseason banter.

The Packers are in good shape as long as he's under center for Week 1 in September.

Serena Williams hinted during an Instagram story video alongside Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers that she would be making her comeback at Wimbledon.

"We've been talking about my comeback, and he's been hyping me up and getting me ready for Wimbledon," she said (h/t CNN's Jacob Lev). "Can't wait!"

We can't wait to see you back on the court! 🙌

(via @serenawilliams) pic.twitter.com/NbADyj11aq

— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) April 7, 2022

Rodgers than asked why Serena wouldn't be participating at the U.S. Open. 

"Wimbledon's before the U.S. Open, I've got to play Wimbledon first," she responded. "Exciting!"

The video ended with Rodgers pointing at Williams and exclaiming, "She's back."

The 40-year-old last played in the 2021 Wimbledon tournament, retiring from her first-round match against Aliaksandra Sasnovich after slipping and injuring her leg. 

"I was heartbroken to have to withdraw today after injuring my right leg," she wrote at the time on Instagram. "My love and gratitude are with the fans and the team who make being on centre court so meaningful. Feeling the extraordinary warmth and support of the crowd today when I walked on—and off—the court meant the world to me."

Williams has dominated women's tennis throughout her career, and her 23 grand slam titles trails only Margaret Court (24). Her seven Wimbledon titles is tied for the third most in the history of the tournament with Steffi Graf and Dorothea Lambert Chambers.

But she hasn't one a grand slam since the 2017 Australian Open and has won just one singles title in the past five years. 

It's natural that Williams' torrid pace has slowed in the twilight of her career, as injury issues and other factors have affected her career. But she hasn't lost the competitive drive or the desire to catch and pass Court. 

"I should have been at like 30 or 32 (grand slam singles titles)," she told CNN's Christiane Amanpour in March. "I should have had it (the record), really, I've had many opportunities to have it. But I'm not giving up."

The Green Bay Packers and quarterback Aaron Rodgers officially put pen to paper on a new contract, the team announced Tuesday.

1️⃣2️⃣ IS BACK.@AaronRodgers12 | #GoPackGo pic.twitter.com/6sOOnmlmB2

— Green Bay Packers (@packers) March 15, 2022

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero first reported the deal was done.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Tom Silverstein reported Rodgers will account for $28 million against the salary cap in 2022. Rapoport provided more detail:

The contract is a 4-year extension, a complicated one, with two dummy years — placeholders — on the back end. It lowers his cap number and gives GB plenty of room to work. https://t.co/VlnbubjPnw

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 15, 2022

Rapoport added Rodgers will get $150.6 million guaranteed in a deal that will pay him $74.5 million in the first new year and $62 million in the second.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero provided a full breakdown of the guaranteed money involved:

On first read of #Packers QB Aaron Rodgers' new contract, he gets:

$42 million in 2022
$59.515M in 2023
$49.3M in 2024

So that's $150.815M over the next three years, and the first two are fully guaranteed at signing.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 15, 2022

It was initially reported by Rapoport on March 8 that Rodgers' new deal was worth $200 million over four years and includes $153 million guaranteed. The veteran announced that a new contract had not yet been signed.

The 38-year-old's new contract could potentially make him the highest-paid player in the NFL, surpassing Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes' $45 million-per-year deal.

Despite a tumultuous 2021 season that included controversy regarding his vaccination status, Rodgers won his second consecutive MVP award after throwing for 4,115 yards and 37 touchdowns in 16 starts. 

The announced deal ends months of speculation surrounding his future. After the Packers fell 13-10 to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Divisional Round, he indicated that he would take some time this offseason to decide what his next move would be. Many wondered if he would choose to retire or request a trade instead of returning to the Packers.

Now that Rodgers is officially back in the fold, Green Bay can look to address other needs that will help the team compete for a title this coming season. The Packers used their franchise tag on star wide receiver Davante Adams, who is the quarterback's favorite target in the passing game.

Rodgers will look to lead Green Bay to its first title since the lone championship win of his storied career at Super Bowl XLV in 2011.

The idea of trading quarterback Jordan Love reportedly isn't "gaining traction" for the Green Bay Packers despite the return of Aaron Rodgers.

ESPN's Adam Schefter discussed Love's status Wednesday on Get Up! after Rodgers announced Tuesday he planned to remain with the Packers:

I'm not expecting that right now. Look, this could change during the course of the offseason, but I don't know that there's another team out there that could wind up giving Green Bay enough value to make them want to move on from him, and we don't know if Aaron Rodgers is playing one or two more years, and Green Bay probably still likes Jordan Love as its QB of the future. He probably has more value to the Packers than he does to other teams, and I haven't heard anything of the sort that he's available or that teams are looking into him. Now, again, in this league, as we know, anything is always possible. Never rule out anything. But I haven't heard any conversation of that sort with that sort of issue gaining traction so far.

Green Bay selected Love with the No. 26 overall pick in the 2020 draft. Since then, Rodgers has won back-to-back regular-season NFL MVP Awards and led the team to a pair of NFC North titles while going 26-6 as the starter.

The 10-time Pro Bowl selection has shown no significant signs of physical decline despite turning 38 in December, and the Packers will likely continue to bring him back as their starter as long as he's willing to stay. Tom Brady played at an elite level until his retirement in February at 44.

In turn, Love's outlook is clouded, and it's fair to wonder what Green Bay could receive in a trade given this year's mostly mundane groups of free agents and draft prospects at the sport's most important position.

The 23-year-old Utah State product drew his first career start in 2021 while Rodgers was sidelined on the reserve/COVID-19 list. He completed 19 of his 34 throws for 190 yards with one touchdown and one interception in a 13-7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. He added 23 rushing yards.

It's impossible to make any conclusions based on a single appearance, though. Love acknowledged afterward that he wasn't in tune with top target Davante Adams on multiple occasions in that contest, a common issue for backup signal-callers.

"It's something that takes time, being able to build that chemistry," Love told reporters. "Obviously, it's something him and Aaron have very well; they've been together for a while. So the chemistry wasn't there yet, but it's something that I think it would progress as the game went on. We were talking through some things and just getting on the same page."

The Packers would also have to weigh any trade offer against their need for a reliable backup quarterback given their status as a Super Bowl contender.

That factor is why Schefter referenced how Love could carry more value to Green Bay, even while sitting second on the depth chart, than he would bring back in a possible deal.

So there are a lot of variables in play, and if a team ends up missing out on its preferred option as part of the offseason quarterback carousel, it's possible a front office reaches out to Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst with an offer he can't refuse.

Barring that type of situation, however, Love will probably remain in Green Bay as the backup while playing out his team-friendly four-year, $12.4 million rookie contract.

So Tuesday was a day in the National Football League.

Two of the biggest pieces in this year's quarterback carousel fell. One in a blockbuster deal that may go down as the most impactful trade in league history. The other in less dramatic fashion: The league's two-time defending MVP decided to stay put.

The agreement to send Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos was a stunner in every sense of the word, but it was a lot less surprising that Aaron Rodgers decided to stick with the Green Bay Packers, who have won 13 games in each of the past three seasons.

That return ended a soap opera regarding Rodgers' future that began the moment Green Bay was stunned at home by the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional playoffs. But in many ways, the move carries the same expectations as Denver's massive gamble on Wilson.

There is one thing and one thing only that will justify Green Bay's commitment—and all the roster moves that will come after it.

Winning Super Bowl LVII.

That Rodgers will be back is settled. The specifics, however, are not.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweeted that Rodgers and the Packers had agreed on a four-year, $200 million extension that included a whopping $153 million in guarantees.

The #Packers and MVP QB Aaron Rodgers have agreed to terms on a 4-year, $200M deal that makes him the highest paid player in NFL history, sources say. He gets a whopping $153M guaranteed and his cap number goes down. A monstrous commitment by GB for years to come. 💰 💰 💰

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 8, 2022

Rodgers refuted the report, however, confirming his return but disputing the terms.

Hey everyone, just wanted to clear some things up; YES I will be playing with the @packers next year, however, reports about me signing a contract are inaccurate, as are the supposed terms of the contract I “signed”. I’m very excited to be back 💪🏼 #year18❤️

— Aaron Rodgers (@AaronRodgers12) March 8, 2022

In any event, it's a good day to be a Cheesehead.

There had been speculation galore that Rodgers would be involved in a blockbuster trade this offseason. But at the NFL Scouting Combine, Green Bay general manager Brian Gutekunst said the team had not received a single offer for the 38-year-old. For his part, head coach Matt LaFleur said that while he'd of course prefer to have Rodgers lead his offense again, he wasn't going to attempt to influence Rodgers' decision.

"I told him, I don't wanna be overbearing and tell him every day how much we love him and how much we want him back," LaFleur said. "So you just wanna be respectful of his space and allow him to think through everything clearly without being annoying, I guess."

Apparently, the two sides hashed out whatever differences may have existed.

That's just the beginning. The Packers will be in scramble mode over the next week, trying to hold the team together around Rodgers and star wide receiver Davante Adams, who was assigned a franchise tag that would pay the 29-year-old $20.5 million.

#Packers WR Davante Adams has massive leverage if Rodgers' deal is as lucrative as NFL Network reports. No way the #Packers can keep him around at franchise tag number of $20.5 million. I can't imagine a way they can do that without massive cuts to the roster.

— Tom Silverstein (@TomSilverstein) March 8, 2022

Per Over the Cap, no team is in worse shape relative to the salary cap.

The Pack will undoubtedly try to sign Adams to a more team-friendly extension. High-priced players such as edge-rusher Za'Darius Smith, left tackle David Bakhtiari and cornerback Jaire Alexander will probably be asked to restructure their contracts to free up space. There may well be a cap casualty or two.

Then Green Bay has to try to re-up its other free agents: linebacker and leading tackler De'Vondre Campbell, cornerback Rasul Douglas, wide receivers Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Allen Lazard and tight end Robert Tonyan.

Then there's the future of quarterback Jordan Love. If Rodgers' extension is anywhere close to the terms Rapoport disclosed, it's just about impossible to believe that Love—whom Gutekunst moved up in Round 1 to draft in 2020—won't be traded. The only question is where and for what.

The Pack have their quarterback, No. 1 wideout, a potent duo at running back in Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon and a solid offensive line. But there's still plenty of uncertainty.

What is certain is that unless Green Bay puts the "title" back in Titletown, then all the drama over the past year-plus will have been for naught.

And even with Rodgers, there's no guarantee the Packers will reach the mountaintop.

To be clear, Rodgers' talent and resume are unquestionable. Last year's MVP award was his fourth—only Peyton Manning has more. Rodgers threw 37 touchdown passes to just four interceptions. He has thrown almost five times as many touchdown passes as interceptions in his career, has a career passer rating of 104.5 (highest in NFC history) and sports a staggering regular-season record of 139-66-1.

If he retired tomorrow, Rodgers would be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. There's no question the Packers are exponentially better with him than without him.

But for all that success, Rodgers has played in one Super Bowl, and that was 11 years ago. He has excellent numbers in the postseason as well—45 touchdowns to 13 interceptions and a 100.1 passer rating. But the Packers are just 11-10 in the playoffs under Rodgers and 1-4 in NFC Championship Games. Last season, Green Bay scored a touchdown on its first possession against San Francisco—and then didn't score another.

Rodgers certainly doesn't bear all the responsibility for those disappointments—football is a team game, and the Green Bay special teams bore the brunt of the blame for this last loss. But as longtime Packers beat writer Bob McGinn stated (via Peter King of NBC Sports), Rodgers' aversion to making mistakes could be as much curse as blessing.

"Rodgers ... for years has played a careful, calculating game understanding that number of interceptions plays a disproportionate, nonsensical role in the passer-rating formula. Bad interceptions are, well, bad. Then there are interceptions that are the cost of doing business for unselfish, competitive, stats-immune quarterbacks battling to make plays and lead comebacks until the bitter end. When a quarterback, especially one with a powerful, usually accurate arm like Rodgers, deliberately minimizes chances to deliver a big play for fear of an interception ... that's just hurting his team. In the playoff game, a modest talent like Jimmy Garoppolo was under every bit as much pass-rush pressure as Rodgers but drilled more tight-window completions down the field largely because he wasn't afraid of a pick and the moment."

That pedestrian playoff game against the Niners (225 passing yards, zero touchdowns) was the final chapter in a roller-coaster campaign for Rodgers. Yes, he was the regular-season MVP. But that was after a similarly dramatic offseason in which he reportedly clashed with Gutekunst. And the in-season controversy about his COVID-19 vaccination status (and whether he intentionally misled people about it).

It's drama on top of drama on top of drama. And the soap opera isn't going to stop now that Rodgers has returned (again). If anything, it will ramp up.

Barring financial finagling of epic proportions, the 2022 Packers aren't going to be as good on paper as they were in 2021. That isn't to say Green Bay won't be among the NFC favorites again—the Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams have similar cap constraints and free-agent issues, and teams such as the 49ers, Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals have talent and question marks in equal measure.

But the spotlight on Rodgers and the Packers will be even brighter and harsher than it was a year ago, after the first "will he, or won't he?" offseason. Expectations will be sky-high. Every setback will be front-page news. Every mistake will be magnified.

And if Rodgers continues to court controversy off the field, Twitter may have to add extra servers.

The Packers and their fans got what they wanted. They got their MVP quarterback back. But his return isn't a panacea.

And unless Rodgers can finally get over the hump, shake off the perception that he can't win when the stakes are highest (a criticism that was once also levied at Manning) and get Green Bay another Super Bowl win, the time may come a year or two from now when those same fans wonder if it all was worth it.

Aaron Rodgers is returning to Green Bay in 2022—he just hasn't finalized the terms on a new contract.

Yet.

Rodgers took to social media Tuesday to deny reports of a four-year, $200 million deal while affirming his decision to return for an 18th season with the Packers.

Hey everyone, just wanted to clear some things up; YES I will be playing with the @packers next year, however, reports about me signing a contract are inaccurate, as are the supposed terms of the contract I “signed”. I’m very excited to be back 💪🏼 #year18❤️

— Aaron Rodgers (@AaronRodgers12) March 8, 2022

Pat McAfee previously reported—almost certainly via Rodgers—that the terms of the deal floating around social media were inaccurate.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported the alleged terms, which would make Rodgers the highest-paid player in league history annually. 

The Packers will need Rodgers to reach terms on a new contract if they hope to build a Super Bowl contender around him. He's carrying an onerous $46.7 million cap hit for the 2022 season—an unsustainable number for a team that's $50.6 million over the cap.

With Davante Adams coming back on the franchise tag, there's no world in which the Packers get under the cap with a championship-caliber team without a new deal in place. An extension could save Green Bay up to $21.1 million in cap space. 

It is theoretically possible the Packers and Rodgers simply tack on void years to the end of his contract as a pseudo extension. That said, it's much more likely a framework of what's been reported is accurate—just not fully agreed upon at this very moment.

Rodgers has developed an increasingly contentious relationship with media over the course of the last year, and it's possible he's taking this as a chance to push against what he perceives as "fake news."

In the end, it would be a massive surprise—and an on-field misfire—if there's not an extension in place by the time the new league year starts next Wednesday. 

Two-time defending MVP Aaron Rodgers is sticking around in Green Bay. 

BREAKING: According to my sources.. @AaronRodgers12 will officially be returning to the Green Bay Packers.

There is no deal in place currently but there is said to be a Cap Friendly deal on the way.

Retirement was a real consideration & in the end

🗣 HE IS BACK WITH THE PACK pic.twitter.com/1lpdcLxyPL

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 8, 2022

Hey everyone, just wanted to clear some things up; YES I will be playing with the @packers next year, however, reports about me signing a contract are inaccurate, as are the supposed terms of the contract I “signed”. I’m very excited to be back 💪🏼 #year18❤️

— Aaron Rodgers (@AaronRodgers12) March 8, 2022

Oh, and Russell Wilson has reportedly been traded to the Denver Broncos, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. 

That takes the two top potential targets for quarterback-needy teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers off the table, leading to the question: Which player will they pursue now? 

Will they make a move for Jimmy Garoppolo? Will they turn to free agency, pursuing players like Jameis Winston, Teddy Bridgewater, Marcus Mariota and Mitchell Trubisky? Or perhaps the NFL draft, where Kenny Pickett, Malik Willis, Matt Corral and Sam Howell are considered the top prospects?

While players like Rodgers and Wilson are now off the table, Garoppolo is very available in San Francisco with Trey Lance waiting in the wings. 

From NFL Now: The #Steelers will look everywhere when it comes to replacing Ben Roethlisberger. Everywhere. pic.twitter.com/2o80nxal6u

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 3, 2022

With the Aaron Rodgers situation finally settled, chances for a quicker resolution to the Jimmy Garoppolo matter increase.

Any team on the vet QB market was at least interested in what would happen with Rodgers, and that’s now settled

— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) March 8, 2022

49ers’ QB Jimmy Garoppolo is expected to soon undergo shoulder surgery that would sideline him until this summer, sources tell ESPN. It is not expected to impact his trade status and Garoppolo still is likely to be traded this month, per sources.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 1, 2022

Garoppolo is probably the safest option among the quarterbacks available for teams in need at the position. He'd hardly be a poor consolation prize for the Steelers.

Of the free-agent group, Trubisky is the name to watch out for, with Fowler reporting he's very much on Pittsburgh's radar.

One name has come up more than any other in the QB conversations I've had over the past week. pic.twitter.com/9nogl8FHpQ

— Robert Mays (@robertmays) March 6, 2022

Winston seems likely to return to New Orleans, while Mariota and Bridgewater are backup plans at this point. 

One former #NFL exec spoke to me about Jameis Winston.

“Everything I’ve heard leads him back to the #Saints. They firmly believe he can be their QB for the next three to four years and compete with him leading the way. However, watch out for the #Steelers as a suitor as well.”

— Evan Massey (@massey_evan) March 5, 2022

Two other names to keep an eye on: Deshaun Watson and Carson Wentz. The status of the former depends entirely on his legal situation. Until that's resolved, it's hard to imagine any team trading for him. 

As for Wentz, ESPN's Chris Mortensen has reported that Wentz expects to be released or traded, though Fowler added that the Indianapolis Colts have remained "coy" on his future prospects and head coach Frank Reich gave him a vote of confidence during the NFL Scouting Combine. 

"I believe in him," he told reporters. "I stuck my neck out for him. I stuck my neck out for him last year. I was a big part of that decision to get him here, and so I believe he's going to continue to have a lot of success at quarterback—that might be here, it might not be here. That decision has yet to be determined, but I still believe in the person, and I still believe in the player."

If he's put on the market, however, he'd be an interesting option for the Steelers. 

But it would also be Wentz's third team in as many years. His upside is higher than everybody mentioned outside of Wilson and Watson, but he hasn't lived up to that billing since he was an MVP candidate in 2017. Of course, that season ended for him when he tore his ACL and had to watch backup Nick Foles lead the Philadelphia Eagles to a Super Bowl title. 

Wentz has never returned to that level of play. Betting on him to ever do so is a risky one at this point.

Two-time defending NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers will return to the Green Bay Packers, as Pat McAfee revealed Tuesday on The Pat McAfee Show:

.@AaronRodgers12 reached aht to me this morning & let me know that he will OFFICIALLY be returning to the Green Bay Packers#PMSLive pic.twitter.com/AZ54GJCSbj

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 8, 2022

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport initially reportedly Rodgers' new deal is worth $200 million over four years and includes $153 million guaranteed. However, both McAfee and Matt Schneidman of The Athletic say the reported contract figures are not accurate.

Rodgers himself later denied a new contract had been agreed upon:

Hey everyone, just wanted to clear some things up; YES I will be playing with the @packers next year, however, reports about me signing a contract are inaccurate, as are the supposed terms of the contract I “signed”. I’m very excited to be back 💪🏼 #year18❤️

— Aaron Rodgers (@AaronRodgers12) March 8, 2022

Of note, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes holds the record for top average annual value, coming in at $45 million.

There was intense speculation about Rodgers' future in the aftermath of Green Bay's 13-10 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Divisional Round.

Rodgers fueled some of that talk with his comments during the postgame press conference.

"I did not think we'd be talking about this after this game," Rodgers said. "I'm going to take some time and have conversations with the folks around here and then take some time away and make a decision, obviously before free agency or anything kind of gets going on that front."

On Feb. 21, Rodgers posted a cryptic message on Instagram that included a thank-you note to several of his Packers teammates:

Aaron Rodgers has posted this on Instagram.

What does it mean? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/7D2Jeeaayz

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) February 22, 2022

Another issue for the Packers was their cap situation as several key players, including Davante Adams, Rasul Douglas and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, were poised to become unrestricted free agents.

Per Over the Cap, the Packers were $40.1 million over the 2022 cap before trying to re-sign those players and make any roster changes in free agency.

This new contract ends a yearlong saga that began prior to the first round of the 2021 NFL draft. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported in April 2021 Rodgers had become "so disgruntled" with the Packers that he told some people in the organization he didn't want to return to the team.

Amid speculation that Rodgers might be traded before the start of last season, the Packers instead reworked his contract:

Aaron Rodgers’ reworked deal now is signed, per sources. Here are the “on paper” concessions in the new contract:

🏈2023 year is voided.

🏈Forfeiture provisions were removed from the contract, preventing the Packers from pursuing prorated portions of Rodgers’ signing bonus.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 29, 2021

When Rodgers finally arrived at Packers training camp in July, he had a long press conference in which he opened up about some of his issues with the organization:

Also, I wanted to help the organization maybe learn from some of the mistakes in the past, in my opinion, about the way some of the outgoing veterans were treated and just the fact that we didn't retain a number of players that I feel like were core players to our foundation, our locker room. High character guys, I'm talking about Charles Woodson, Jordy Nelson, Julius Peppers, Clay Matthews, Randall Cobb, James Jones, John Kuhn, Brett Goode, TJ Lang, Bryan Bulaga, Casey Heyward, Micah Hyde. Guys who were exceptional players for us, great locker room guys, high character guys, many of them whom weren't offered a contract at all or were extremely low-balled or were maybe, in my opinion, not given the respect on the way out that guys of their status and stature and high character deserve. And, then it kind of progressed from there into a commitment for the 2021 season and beyond, that really wasn't given at any time.

The Packers are still in prime position to compete for a championship, even with some potential cap issues. Their division is weak with the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears still rebuilding and the Minnesota Vikings needing to figure out a direction after finishing 8-9 in 2021.

Green Bay was the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs for the second consecutive season. Rodgers won his fourth career NFL MVP award after throwing for 4,115 yards and 37 touchdowns in 16 starts.

The Packers have won 13 games in each of the past three seasons. They have made the playoffs 10 times in 12 seasons with Rodgers as their quarterback, including a victory in Super Bowl XLV in 2011.

Rodgers' return ensures the Packers will compete in a crowded NFC as they pursue a fourth straight division title in 2022.