Aaron Rodgers

Aaron Rodgers fired back at Boomer Esiason on Friday after the former NFL signal-caller said a source texted him that the Green Bay Packers quarterback will threaten to boycott the Super Bowl if the NFL doesn't relax its COVID-19 policies should the Packers reach the title game.

“he’s told @jordan3love to be ready” 😂😂😂#directcircle#dumbestfuckingstoryever #fakenews #boycottfakenews #boycottbums #boycottshoes #boycottwaterfalls#boycottAJsmokingcigars #boycottLafleursBrows#boycottGutchies https://t.co/rhuyV2mnIN

— Aaron Rodgers (@AaronRodgers12) January 7, 2022

On the former NFL quarterback's WFAN show Boomer and Gio on Friday, Esiason's radio co-host, Gregg Giannotti, read the text from Esiason's source on air:

"Boom, the Rodgers saga continues to get crazier and crazier. I've been told by multiple people in Aaron's direct circle that if the Packers make the Super Bowl, he will use the week leading up to the Super Bowl to prove a major point. He will threaten the NFL by saying he won't play in the big game, or next season, if they don't eliminate some of the COVID-related rules.

"One big one that upsets him the most is the testing of non-symptomatic players. He's told [Packers backup quarterback] Jordan Love to be ready. Like you said, he's gotta make it first, but Super Bowl week will be set on fire and send [NFL Commissioner Roger] Goodell in a frenzy navigating the situation."

Rodgers' Packers are in the driver's seat to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. They have sewn up the NFC's No. 1 seed and the conference's bye week in the playoffs.

Rodgers has made national headlines for his COVID-19 opinions.

He told reporters in August he was "immunized" against COVID-19, but he admitted he wasn't vaccinated when he tested positive in November and sat out his team's 13-7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Rodgers has discussed his unsubstantiated opinions on the NFL's COVID-19 policies at length and said the league did not approve his immunization plan.

"Some of the rules are not based in science at all," Rodgers alleged on The Pat McAfee Show in November (h/t Emmanuel Morgan of the New York Times). "They're based purely in trying to out and shame people."

Rodgers also told McAfee in December (h/t Christopher Kuhagen of Packers News) that he believed the NFL was utilizing a "two-class system" for vaccinated and unvaccinated players.

Regardless of Rodgers' opinions, seeing him cap off a probable NFL MVP season and lead the Packers into the Super Bowl only to threaten a boycott for COVID-related reasons after committing to the franchise all year seems far-fetched at best and a falsity at worst.

It doesn't seem likely that he would leave his teammates before the biggest game of the year, regardless of how he feels about the league's COVID-19 stance.

Rodgers and the Packers will close their regular season Sunday against the Detroit Lions before playing a to-be-determined opponent during the divisional round either Jan. 22 or Jan. 23.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said his relationship with general manager Brian Gutekunst has improved, and he hinted that staying with the franchise beyond this season may be his best option.

Rodgers was asked about his future during an appearance Wednesday on SiriusXM's The Adam Schein Podcast (via Kevin Patra of NFL.com) amid a season in which he's once again in the MVP conversation, and the Packers are a top-tier Super Bowl contender:

The grass is greener where you water it. I really believe that. And you know, that's an adage to dissuade people from going out and taking risk and chances, and you know, I think that where you spend your time and energy and what you choose to water will always be the greenest part of your life. I decided when I came back that I was going to be all in with the team and all in to see things move forward to a better place. And that's what the conversations were about, you know, during the offseason, was about being a part of those conversations that impact my ability to do my job.

And I, you know, from one of the first days, Brian and I sat it down and got on the same page and it's been a really nice Fall and Winter. I appreciate his approach, how it's been, and it's been very meaningful to me. So I'm thankful for that relationship, where it's at at this point, and that's made my life that much more enjoyable. So I gotta give Brian a lot of credit for meeting me in the middle.

The relationship between Rodgers and Gutekunst appeared on the verge of being unsalvageable at one point during the offseason, which raised serious questions about whether the three-time NFL MVP had played his last game for Green Bay.

In May, Yahoo Sports' Charles Robinson reported the quarterback was "adamant" he wouldn't return to the team as long as Gutekunst remained in charge of the roster, and at that point it seemed "reconciliation may not be possible."

The sides were able to work out their differences, and a season that was on the brink of collapse before it even began has instead turned into a potentially memorable year for the Packers.

Green Bay has clinched the NFC's top seed with a 13-3 record, giving it a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the conference's playoffs.

Rodgers has been the driving force behind that success. He's completed 68.6 percent of his throws for 3,977 yards with 35 touchdowns and just four interceptions in 15 appearances.

The Packers lost the one game he missed—Week 9 against the Kansas City Chiefs while he was on the NFL's reserve/COVID-19 list—by a 13-7 score under the guidance of backup Jordan Love.

Rodgers has put together his latest terrific season despite a lingering toe injury that is finally starting to subside just in time for the postseason—a worrisome thought for the rest of the NFC contenders.

"This is a first game that my toe got through the game without any issues," Rodgers told reporters after Sunday's 37-10 blowout win over the Minnesota Vikings to clinch the top seed. "No pregame painkiller shot. I'm feeling good. I'm happy about it."

Regardless of when Green Bay's season comes to a close, the focus will quickly shift to Rodgers' future.

The good news for Packers fans, though, is Rodgers spending his entire career with the franchise is starting to sound like a far more realistic possibility than it appeared to be in mid-2021.

Green Bay Packers star Aaron Rodgers pushed back against a member of the NFL media who said he won't vote for Rodgers on his MVP ballot largely for off-field reasons.

During a press conference Wednesday, Rodgers called writer Hub Arkush an "absolute bum" and said, "His problem is I'm not vaccinated."

.@AaronRodgers12 opened about the comments reporter @Hub_Arkush made: “I think he’s a bum. I think he’s an absolute bum."

"His problem with me is that I'm not vaccinated."https://t.co/h9XURmZgFE

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) January 5, 2022

Arkush said Tuesday on 670 The Score's Parkins & Spiegel Show that he didn't think Rodgers was deserving of the MVP.

"I don't think you can be the biggest jerk in the league and punish your team and your organization and your fanbase the way he did and be the Most Valuable Player," Arkush said.

He added the Packers quarterback "hurt his team on the field by the way he acted off the field."

Arkush acknowledged Wednesday on 670 The Score's Bernstein & Rahimi (via the Chicago Sun-Times' Jeff Agrest) that he "made a big mistake last night" and that his comments have become part of the conversation about this year's MVP race.

Rodgers has a strong case to collect the NFL's top individual honor for a fourth time. He has thrown for 3,977 yards, 35 touchdowns and four interceptions in 15 games. Green Bay has clinched the top seed in the NFC as well.

Rodgers' value to the team was evident when he missed a Week 9 defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs. Backup Jordan Love finished 19-of-34 for 190 yards, one touchdown and one interception, while the Packers' 301 yards of offense were well below their season average (364.8).

The 10-time Pro Bowler is the heavy favorite (-400) at DraftKings Sportsbook in MVP odds. He's trailed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Tom Brady (+500), Cincinnati Bengals' Joe Burrow (+1000) and Indianapolis Colts' Jonathan Taylor (+1600).

Player awards are subjective, and MVP might be the most obvious example.

This season, one could argue in favor of somebody other than Rodgers without making it about his COVID-19 controversy.

Taylor has 2,076 yards from scrimmage and 20 touchdowns while averaging 5.5 yards per carry. Imagine where the Colts would be without him. 

Likewise, Burrow is the symbol for a revitalized Bengals squad. He has 4,611 passing yards and 34 touchdowns and leads the league in completion percentage (70.4). 

Los Angeles Rams star Cooper Kupp has the fifth-most receiving yards (1,829) in a single season and could bring down the record mark of 1,964 set by Calvin Johnson in 2012.

But all of that is likely to take a back seat to the discourse sparked by Arkush.

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Green Bay Packers star Aaron Rodgers believes his maturity as a person has allowed him to keep playing at a high level at this stage of his NFL career. 

Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show, Rodgers explained he is "giving less f--ks" and developing a maturity from "aging, from making mistakes, from failing, from being too sensitive at times, from taking things too personal at times" as he enters the twilight of his career. 

"It really comes down to giving less fucks & that's what I've tried to do the last couple years.. there's a lot of joy in being unapologetically yourself" ~@AaronRodgers12#PatMcAfeeShowLIVE pic.twitter.com/YmrripWVGO

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 4, 2022

Rodgers believes this attitude and perspective have allowed him to age gracefully in a profession that doesn't historically reward athletes in their late 30s. 

Even though it's strange to think about now, there was a time not that long ago when analysts were questioning how much longer Rodgers would keep playing.

Rodgers had a solid statistical season in 2019 with 4,002 yards and 26 touchdowns to help the Packers win the NFC North with a 13-3 record.

But some of the underlying numbers suggested Rodgers was nearing the end of his peak. He had the two lowest QBRs of his career in 2018 (58.0) and 2019 (52.5). He led the NFL in throwaways during the 2018 season (59) and was second in 2019 (39). 

Whether or not the Packers' decision to draft Jordan Love in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft awakened something in Rodgers, he certainly found another level in his game before the start of last season. 

Rodgers has completed 69.7 percent of his attempts for 8,276 yards with 83 touchdowns and just nine interceptions in 31 games since the start of 2020. He is on track to potentially win his fourth MVP award, which would put him one behind Peyton Manning for the most in NFL history. 

The 38-year-old would also be the first player since Manning (2008-09) to win back-to-back MVP awards if he gets the trophy this season. 

The Packers are 26-5 in Rodgers' starts during that span and enter the playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the NFC for the second consecutive year. 

The Green Bay Packers already clinched the NFC's No. 1 seed, first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, but don't expect Aaron Rodgers to rest on his accomplishments.

The quarterback appeared on Tuesday's episode of The Pat McAfee Show and said he will play in Week 18 against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field.

"The plan is to play," he said. "... I'm a believer in [momentum] ... and I think it's important for us to keep that momentum going."

Green Bay has plenty of momentum following five straight victories, one of which came over the 12-4 Los Angeles Rams and helped it clinch the No. 1 seed.

While there is nothing at stake for the Packers in the upcoming NFC North clash with the Lions, there is on an individual level for Rodgers. After all, he is battling the likes of Tom Brady, Joe Burrow and others for the league MVP award. 

If he wins it, it will mark the fourth time in his illustrious career he takes home the MVP. It would also move him ahead of Brady's three MVPs and one closer to Peyton Manning's five MVPs as two of the defining quarterbacks of the past generation of the NFL.

There is also something to be said for avoiding rust.

Thanks to the first-round bye Green Bay earned, Rodgers would be off for three weeks between the team's Week 17 win over the Minnesota Vikings and its NFC Divisional Round playoff game if he didn't play against the Lions.

Like he said, such a long break could interrupt the momentum he has generated while completing 68.6 percent of his passes for 3,977 yards, 35 touchdowns and four interceptions. It would also prevent him from reaching 4,000 passing yards for the fourth straight season.

Perhaps the Packers will treat this as something of a preseason game and let Rodgers and the starters get some work in before moving to the backups, but the quarterback expects to take the field Sunday.                 

The AFC is where most of the postseason drama lies for Week 18. 

The No. 1 overall seed in the conference could go to four different franchises, and five teams are still in contention for two wild-card positions. 

Pittsburgh Steelers' win on Monday ensured the five-way competition for the wild-card spots. The Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Chargers, Las Vegas Raiders and Baltimore Ravens are still in the mix as well.

Home-field advantage in the NFC was decided on Sunday night, when the Green Bay Packers defeated the Minnesota Vikings. 

Only one of the seven postseason spots in the NFC is up for grabs on Sunday. The San Francisco 49ers need to beat the Los Angeles Rams and see the New Orleans Saints lose to the Falcons to join the seven-team field. 

Green Bay and the No. 1 seed from the AFC will earn the only first-round byes in the postseason. The rest of the 12 participants open playoff action on wild-card weekend from January 15-17.

2021 NFL Playoff Scenarios for Week 18: pic.twitter.com/PqB4IDQaXv

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 4, 2022

AFC Playoff Picture

Division Leaders

1. Tennessee (11-5)

2. Kansas City (11-5)

3. Cincinnati (10-6)

4. Buffalo (10-6)

The Tennessee Titans, Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals all have the potential to secure the No. 1 seed through Week 18 results. 

Tennessee is in the driver's seat after it won and Kansas City lost in Week 17. The Titans need a win over the Houston Texans to secure home-field advantage and the first-round bye. 

Mike Vrabel's team could use an extra week off to potentially get Derrick Henry back from injury for the divisional round.

Kansas City needs to beat the Denver Broncos and receive help from the Texans to secure the top spot in the AFC.

Cincinnati needs losses by Kansas City and Tennessee plus a win over the Cleveland Browns to land the top spot. The Bengals own a better conference record than the Titans and a head-to-head win over the Chiefs from Week 17.

The Buffalo Bills can secure the AFC East title with a victory over the New York Jets, but they can't land the No. 1 seed because of their disadvantage in tiebreakers. 

         

Wild-Card Race

5. New England (10-6)

6. Indianapolis (9-7)

7. Los Angeles Chargers (9-7)

8. Las Vegas (9-7)

9. Pittsburgh (8-7-1)

10. Baltimore (8-8)

The New England Patriots are already into the postseason.

Bill Belichick's team needs a win over the Miami Dolphins combined with a Buffalo loss to land the AFC East title. The Patriots have an outside shot to land the No. 1 seed, but they need all sorts of help from Cleveland, Denver and Houston.

The Indianapolis Colts need to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars to lock up one of the two remaining wild-card positions. 

Carson Wentz and Co. defeated the Jaguars earlier in the season, but the Colts have had trouble recently against their AFC South rival away from Lucas Oil Stadium.

Indianapolis has not beaten the Jaguars outside of its home stadium since the 2014 campaign. The Jaguars beat the Colts in Week 17 of 2019 and Week 1 of 2020 in their latest showdowns in north Florida. 

Jacksonville needs a loss to earn the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft, so that streak could end on Sunday. 

The Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders will likely play for the final playoff spot on Sunday night. If Indianapolis somehow loses, the Chargers and Raiders could both get in with a tie. 

The Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers are also reliant on the Jaguars to keep their playoff hopes alive. 

Pittsburgh needs Indianapolis and one of the AFC West teams to drop to eight losses. Pittsburgh could then qualify with a victory to get it to 9-7-1.

Baltimore needs to beat Pittsburgh in the regular-season finale and then hope for losses by Indianapolis, Los Angeles and Miami to earn a postseason spot. The Ravens would be the No. 7 seed in that situation thanks to head-to-head wins over the Colts and Chargers. 

              

NFC Playoff Picture

Division Leaders

1. Green Bay (13-3)

2. Los Angeles Rams (12-4)

3. Tampa Bay (12-4)

4. Dallas (11-5)

The Green Bay Packers took away the drama for the NFC's No.1 seed by securing home-field advantage on Sunday. 

Green Bay could opt to rest its starters for parts of the Week 18 clash with the Detroit Lions before it watches from the sidelines during wild-card weekend. 

The Los Angeles Rams will land on the opposite end of the NFC bracket as the Packers with a win over the San Francisco 49ers. 

Sean McVay's team needs a Week 18 win to capture the NFC West title and lock in at least one home playoff game. 

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers sit behind the Rams on conference record. They should beat the Carolina Panthers to finish either second or third in the NFC.

The Dallas Cowboys won the NFC East a few weeks ago. They will most likely be the No. 4 seed in the NFC bracket. Dallas has head-to-head losses to the Arizona Cardinals and Tampa Bay. Arizona would leap the Rams in the NFC West if it wins against the Seattle Seahawks and the Rams lose. 

    

Wild-Card Race

5. Arizona (11-5)

6. San Francisco (9-7)

7. Philadelphia (9-7)

8. New Orleans (8-8)

The second-place team in the NFC West will finish as the No. 5 seed. 

Arizona will likely defeat the Seahawks on Sunday. The Cardinals need a 49ers win over the Rams to earn a home game in the wild-card round.

If the Cardinals and Rams have the same results on Sunday, Kyler Murray and Co. will most likely head to Dallas for their playoff opener. 

The 49ers need to beat the Rams to clinch their postseason spot. San Francisco could also use a New Orleans Saints loss to the Atlanta Falcons to get in.

Philadelphia secured its playoff spot in Week 17 with a win over the Washington Football Team and some help. 

The Eagles own a head-to-head victory over New Orleans, and they lost early in the regular season to the 49ers. 

San Francisco will be the No. 6 seed if it finishes with the same record as the Eagles. Philadelphia claims that spot if New Orleans qualifies for the postseason.