Aaron Rodgers

Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones said Tuesday he's hopeful quarterback Aaron Rodgers will return to the team for the 2022 season.

Jones explained on the NFL Network's NFL Total Access Live he doesn't have any inside information, saying he's "heard what everybody else has heard," but he wants the 10-time Pro Bowler back in green, gold and white.

"But I think he'll be there, in my heart. Green Bay, I can't imagine him anywhere else, that's where he's been his whole career," he said. "I just can't picture him anywhere else. I think we had a lot of fun this year, I hope to have him back and I believe in my heart he'll be back."

Rodgers was a first-round pick of the Packers in the 2005 draft, and he's provided the franchise with immense value, highlighted by the Super Bowl XLV title and three MVP Awards. The latter number will likely increase to four once this season's MVP winner is announced.

Whether he'll finish his Hall of Fame career in Green Bay has come into question over the past few years, though. He was away from the franchise for much of the offseason in 2021 before returning for the start of training camp.

The Packers' outlook for the upcoming offseason features multiple hurdles. Most notably, figuring out whether Rodgers is willing to return and, if he does, trying to work some salary-cap magic to ensure the roster around him is at a championship level.

Rodgers made it clear after the team was eliminated from the playoffs by the San Francisco 49ers he had no interest in waiting out a roster reconstruction.

"I don't want to be a part of a rebuild if I'm going to keep playing," the 38-year-old Cal product told reporters.

Yet Green Bay is a projected $49.3 million over the salary cap entering the offseason (via Spotrac) and still has to handle the future of Davante Adams, who'll likely be retained via the franchise tag if the sides don't agree on a long-term extension.

Rodgers could provide an assist by reworking his own contract, which features a $46.7 million cap hit for next season.

The one thing working in the Packers' favor in their efforts to retain the legendary quarterback is the AFC-NFC dynamic.

Joe Burrow, who'll lead the Cincinnati Bengals in the Super Bowl on Sunday, joins the Kansas City Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes, Buffalo Bills' Josh Allen, Los Angeles Chargers' Justin Herbert and Baltimore Ravens' Lamar Jackson among the high-profile signal-callers in the AFC. The conference's playoffs will be a hard-fought gauntlet for the next decade.

The NFC possesses a far more wide-open feel following the retirement of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Tom Brady and the New Orleans Saints' Drew Brees over the last two years. The Seattle Seahawks and Russell Wilson also enter the offseason with an uncertain future for their longtime partnership.

So if Rodgers' main focus is chasing down another title, staying in Green Bay alongside Adams and Jones probably represents his path of least resistance.

Whether he views the situation the same way remains a mystery, though.

A number of professional athletes and celebrities, including Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, swimming legend Michael Phelps and former NFL player Reggie Bush, will be participating in the Annexus Pro-Am on Wednesday at the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

They'll join an already lengthy list of participants that includes Minnesota Vikings cornerback Patrick Peterson and wideout Adam Thielen, former MLB pitcher CC Sabathia, Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff, actor Josh Duhamel, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Walker Buehler, former NFL wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald and golf correspondent Alexandra O'Laughlin, among others. 

The Pro-Am will be the lead-in event to the Waste Management Phoenix Open, which begins on Thursday. 

The Green Bay Packers are reportedly set on keeping Aaron Rodgers in 2022 and hopeful he wants to stay with the team moving forward.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler appeared Sunday on SportsCenter and updated the ongoing situation. 

"I'm told the Packers brass has been adamant, both publicly and privately, that they want Aaron Rodgers back and that they're all on the same page," Fowler said. "GM Brian Gutekunst has expressed that to Rodgers. Head coach Matt LeFleur has expressed that to Rodgers. They've been out full front and in public about that, but also I've been told they've had some meetings with Rodgers, but it's been, you know, not too intense yet.

"They've kind of recapped the season, maybe talk about the direction of the team, some of the pieces they like. But, nothing out of the ordinary that they wouldn't do in a normal year. And so, it's my sense that the Packers are going to give Rodgers space a little bit, kind of like they did last year. You know, they wanted to let him kind of shake out his future, shape his future. They know that he has options because this is a guy with one year left, one true year at $46 million in salary cap hit in 2022. So, if he stays, they most likely have to redo his contract. And asking around, even dating back to last offseason when things were crazy, not once did I ever hear that the Packers had hard plans to trade Aaron Rodgers. So, they're trying to keep a united front and the same message right now that they did last year."

Rodgers and the Packers came to a mutual understanding they would reassess his future as part of a restructured contract agreement signed at the beginning of training camp. The reigning MVP held out the entire offseason training program in hopes of forcing his way out of Green Bay amid a falling out with Packers management, specifically general manager Brian Gutekunst.

The relationship between the two sides seemingly repaired itself over the course of the 2021 season, with Rodgers again putting up MVP-caliber numbers before an upset loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round. 

This offseason is essentially make-or-break in regards to Rodgers' future with the franchise. While he can technically become a free agent in 2023, his $46.7 million cap hold is untenable. The Packers, who are $46.4 million over the projected cap for 2022, will need Rodgers to sign an extension that significantly lowers his cap number if they have any hope of retaining free agents—most notably wide receiver Davante Adams.

If Rodgers wants out, the Packers will have little choice but to acquiesce to his trade demand. Trading him would save them $26.9 million on their 2022 cap, giving them significant flexibility to rebuild the roster around Jordan Love. 

Rodgers has said he will not allow the decision regarding his future linger, making it likely he finalizes his plans for 2022 in the coming weeks. 

There is a significant possibility Aaron Rodgers will be playing football elsewhere in 2022. However, the Green Bay Packers brass hopes he decides to return next season to continue his historic career with the franchise.

Packers President Mark Murphy said in his monthly column:

A key factor will be whether Aaron Rodgers comes back for the 2022 season. Matt, Brian, executive vice president/director of football operations Russ Ball and I are all in agreement that we want Aaron to come back. He is likely to win his fourth league MVP, is the unquestioned leader of our team and is still playing at a high level at 38.

Murphy's comments come after Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said during his season-ending press conference following a loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Divisional Round that he wanted Rodgers to remain in Green Bay "to the day he decides to retire."

Rodgers also said after that loss he would meet with LaFleur and general manager Brian Gutekunst to discuss the future of the team before stepping away to determine his future:

There's obviously a lot of decisions to be made. There's a lot of players whose futures are up in the air, so definitely will be interesting to see which way some of those decisions will go. I'll have the conversations with Brian in the next week or so and get a little bit more clarity and think about my own future and how much longer I want to keep doing this.

Rodgers' future in Green Bay has been in question since before he held out of the Packers' 2021 offseason workouts. NBC Sports' Peter King said in an interview with WEEI's Dale and Keefe in April that Rodgers was upset that the franchise didn't address the wide receiver position in the 2020 draft. Green Bay instead drafted quarterback Jordan Love.

If Rodgers was unhappy with those types of personnel decisions, he could be even more upset this offseason. The Packers are projected to be $50.8 million over the salary cap, per Over the Cap, and that certainly won't be enough to retain both Rodgers and some of the other team's free agents, including Davante Adams.

It's hard to imagine the Packers clearing enough cap space, retaining players and bringing in players that Rodgers will like.

Regardless, bringing Rodgers back for another season appears to be Green Bay's priority, so the team will try to find a way to make something work.

The three-time MVP is coming off yet another MVP-worthy season, having led the NFL in passer rating and touchdown percentage. He completed 68.9 percent of his passes for 4,115 yards and 37 touchdowns against just four interceptions. It was his fourth straight season passing for more than 4,000 yards.

If Rodgers ends up playing elsewhere in 2022, the Packers will be forced to turn to Love, who has started just one game in his NFL career. 

If Pro Bowl players had a vote for the NFL's offensive MVP, Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor would win the award.

In a poll of 20 players in Las Vegas for the NFL's annual All-Star Game taken by The Athletic's Greg Auman, Taylor received eight votes as offensive MVP for the 2021 season.

Quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers (five), Tom Brady (three) and Joe Burrow (two) also received multiple votes. Cooper Kupp of the Los Angeles Rams and Deebo Samuel of the San Francisco 49ers each received one vote.

Taylor could receive some support in the actual MVP voting, but odds strongly favor Rodgers winning the award for the second consecutive year. 

It's unclear how much postseason performance might have affected the way players viewed the seasons for Rodgers and Brady. Rodgers only threw for 225 yards with no touchdowns in Green Bay's 13-10 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Divisional Round. 

Brady did throw for 329 yards against the Los Angeles Rams, but he also committed two turnovers in a 30-27 defeat. 

The Colts missed the playoffs after a 26-11 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 18, but that game was seen as more of an indictment on Carson Wentz. General manager Chris Ballard wouldn't fully commit to Wentz as the team's 2022 starter after the loss. 

Taylor was the focal point of Indianapolis' offense throughout the season. He led the NFL in rushing attempts (332), rushing yards (1,811), rushing touchdowns (18), yards from scrimmage (2,171) and total touchdowns (20). 

Rodgers led the Packers to the best record in the NFL during the regular season (13-4, tied with Tampa Bay). He threw for 4,115 yards and 37 touchdowns in 16 starts. Brady led the league in completions (485), attempts (719), passing yards (5,316) and passing touchdowns (43). 

The last non-quarterback to win NFL MVP was Adrian Peterson in 2012 when he ran for 2,097 yards. 

The 2021 NFL MVP award will be handed out during the NFL Honors show on Feb. 10 at 9 p.m. ET.     

Don't expect the Tennessee Titans to enter the Aaron Rodgers sweepstakes.

According to ESPN's Turron Davenport, "A team source confirmed to ESPN that the Titans don't consider Rodgers to be an option for them at quarterback and have full intentions of moving forward with Ryan Tannehill."

The Green Bay Packers may not be ready for a divorce anyway. The team reportedly is interested in offering Rodgers a "monster deal" to remain in Green Bay going forward, according to Benjamin Allbright of KOA Colorado.

Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy wrote in his monthly column on Packers.com that the team is hopeful Rodgers will return in 2022:

We are significantly over the salary cap for next year, and will have to make many difficult decisions in order to get under the cap. A key factor will be whether Aaron Rodgers comes back for the 2022 season. Matt, Brian, executive vice president/director of football operations Russ Ball and I are all in agreement that we want Aaron to come back. He is likely to win his fourth league MVP, is the unquestioned leader of our team and is still playing at a high level at 38.

When Rodgers ended his holdout last summer, however, he agreed on an amended contract worth a massive $46.1 million against the 2022 salary cap. 

That means, in short, that the Packers will almost assuredly either seek a contract extension that will lessen that short-term cap hit and keep Rodgers in Green Bay for several more years, or they'll trade him. In that regard, Rodgers controls his own destiny this offseason. 

As for the Titans and Tannehill, the team has been publicly backing him this winter. 

"Ryan’s our quarterback," general manager Jon Robinson told reporters on Wednesday. "He’s made a lot of plays for us. He’s a great leader. He’s extremely tough. Love what Ryan brings to our football team, love what he stands for. We’re looking forward to him getting back in there, and getting back on track, and keeping this thing rolling."

While Rodgers would undoubtedly be an upgrade over Tannehill, the Titans quarterback has an impressive 30-13 record with the team in his three seasons in Tennessee, leading them to three straight playoff berths. 

Tannehill isn't going to put up MVP numbers—in the past two seasons, his 54 touchdowns and 21 interceptions don't exactly stack up to Rodgers' 85 touchdowns and nine picks—but he's been a solid, if unspectacular, option in Tennessee. 

On the other hand, the Titans would have to at least explore a Rodgers trade if one was available. They'll publicly back Tannehill for now, but Tennessee's title window is open, and Rodgers would give them a better chance to capitalize on it . 

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is reportedly building a home in Tennessee, and he's "open" to joining the Titans during the 2022 NFL offseason.

Jared Stillman of ESPN Nashville reported the update Wednesday:

Rodgers' status with the Packers will be one of the NFL's top stories for the second successive summer. He stayed away from the organization for most of last offseason amid a flurry of trade rumors, but he returned for the start of training camp to end the standoff.

The 38-year-old Cal product is likely set to win his second straight MVP Award after a 2021 campaign in which he threw 37 touchdowns and just four interceptions in 16 games.

He's under contract with Green Bay for next season as part of a four-year, $134 million deal, but it features a likely untenable $46.7 million cap hit for 2022. The Packers are a projected $50.8 million over the salary cap heading into the offseason, per OverTheCap.

Rodgers made it clear after the Packers were eliminated from the playoffs by the San Francisco 49ers he holds no interest in playing for a team not focused on Super Bowl contention.

"I don't want to be a part of a rebuild if I'm going to keep playing," he told reporters.

It creates a complex situation because Green Bay will have limited roster flexibility to retain or sign players if Rodgers remains at his current cap figure.

If he's going to leave, the front office would obviously prefer a multi-team bidding war to maximize the return in a trade, but the quarterback will hold some leverage to pick his new team since he'll probably have to restructure his contract to make it work.

The Titans make sense on paper, as they finished as the top seed in the AFC with a 12-5 record before getting upset by the eventual AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals in the divisional round. If you combine a Rodgers-led passing game with a Derrick Henry-led rushing attack, it'll be a nightmare for opposing defenses.

Rodgers' new house isn't directly related to interest in the Titans, though. Brent Dougherty of 104.5 The Zone reported the QB's plan to build in the Nashville area has been in the works for "a while":

The difficulty for Tennessee would be the presence of quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who's under contract through 2023 with a potential dead cap of $57.4 million for 2022. That figure could be reduced to $29 million over two years with a post-June 1 trade, but it's unclear whether Green Bay would be interested in him or would want to move forward with Jordan Love in a post-Rodgers era. It could necessitate a third team getting involved.

So there are a lot of moving parts that would need to get resolved before Rodgers could land in Tennessee, and if his sole focus is winning a Super Bowl, the path of least resistance likely resides in the NFC given the incredible amount of young quarterback talent in the AFC.

The Titans would certainly still be a top-tier championship contender if they land the 10-time Pro Bowl selection, though.