Aaron Rodgers isn’t exactly the “retirement” type — not while his cannon arm still has some zip left. As Week 18 approaches, fans are already rolling their eyes at the idea of the future Hall of Famer calling it quits after facing the Miami Dolphins.
The thought of one of the all-time greats hanging up his cleats after a regular-season finale? Not on their watch, though. Batman doesn’t retire after a Monday night fight, right?
Fans Doubt Aaron Rodgers Will Retire After Week 18
Fans aren’t buying the whole Rodgers-retiring-after-Week-18 stuff. NFL insider Adam Schefter dropped the bomb, quoting Rodgers acknowledging Sunday could mark his last game, but the reactions are clear: This is not the end.
One fired-up supporter predicts a bounce-back year, saying, “He ain’t ending it like this. A great head coach is going to get hired by one of these losing teams, and they’re going to bring him in to QB the new team. Watch him go somewhere else and throw 50 touchdowns next year.”
He ain't ending it like this. A great head coach is going to get hired by one of these losing teams, and they're going to bring him in to QB the new team. Watch him go somewhere else and throw 50 touchdowns next year.
— topher_atx (@topher_atx) January 2, 2025
Others think a change of scenery is coming — “He might end up in Cleveland,” suggests one fan.
He might end up in Cleveland
— Ken Harford, MBI (@harford_ken) January 1, 2025
Then there’s the fan who’s had enough of Rodgers’ retirement drama after the past couple of years. “Rodgers acting like he’s gonna retire for the third year in a row,” they quipped, attaching a reactionary GIF.
rodgers acting like he's gonna retire for the 3rd year in a row https://t.co/uCLNRhqse8 pic.twitter.com/2IN5MfuwSE
— ball knower 🇵🇸 (@notjknox) January 1, 2025
Of course, there’s the classic take: Rodgers won’t leave with just 499 touchdowns when a 500th could be within reach.
“Aaron Rodgers retiring depends entirely on whether or not he reaches 500 passing TD’s on Sunday. Ain’t NO WAY [he] is walking away with 499 TD passes,” one fan confidently stated.
In the end, despite the uncertainty, Rodgers’ future seems far from settled. While some fans speculate on potential landing spots (like Cleveland), one thing’s for sure: Don’t expect Rodgers to go out quietly.
As rumors swirl, Garrett Wilson’s blunt comments about his rumored fractured relationship with Rodgers add another layer of intrigue to this offseason storyline.
Garrett Wilson Shuts Down Riff Rumors, Stays Focused on Finishing Strong
In his first direct comments on the matter, Wilson addressed the chatter head-on.
“That stuff is just words for people trying to figure out a way to divide us more than they’ve already tried,” he said. “Obviously, we’ve got a lot going on here, trying to dig ourselves out of this hole. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to. But my feet are where my feet are at, and I’m going to try and finish this thing the right way.”
Wilson’s focus is on finishing strong, no matter the distractions.
Rodgers’ 25th-ranked QB+ grade through 17 weeks (71.3, C-), according to PFN’s QB+ metric, has been a part of the puzzle that left the Jets’ season so underwhelming. As a whole, the team’s offense has performed poorly too, with a season-long Offense+ grade of 18th (72.7, C-); if Rodgers returns to Gang Green in 2025, improvements will need to be made offensively.