GREEN BAY, Wis: (WFRV) –  For the past two football seasons, Aaron Rodgers has been a part of the Pat McAfee show every Tuesday during the regular season, where he waxes eloquent about a variety of subjects ranging from football to his favorite books. The 4-time MVP said on his final appearance this past season that he would make an announcement regarding his football future on their show, and on Sunday McAfee posted this on Twitter:

“The vacation was great and I enjoyed it immensely but..

Our 2022 NFL Season starts Tuesday..

BIG GUEST LOCKED AND LOADED

Let’s have an off-season”

Tuesday just so happens to be when the franchise tagging period begins and runs from February 22 until March 8, just a week before free agency truly starts.  The franchise tag isn’t something Green Bay has used all that much and hasn’t been done since Ryan Pickett back in 2010. The Packers could go that route in the short term with free agent WR Davante Adams, just to delay working out a bigger contract with him for the long term. And that would ultimately impact the status of Aaron Rodgers.

Rodgers stirred rumors Monday night on Instagram, posting several pictures with this lengthy caption:

“Here’s some… #MondayNightGratitude for some of the incredibly special people in my life, with some pictures from the last beautiful year.

@shailenewoodley, thanks for letting me chase after you the first couple months after we met, and finally letting me catch up to you and be a part of your life. Thanks for always having my back, for the incredible kindness you show me and everyone you meet, and for showing me what unconditional love looks like, I love you and am grateful for you.
To the men I got to share the QB room with everyday, Matt, Nathaniel, Luke, @jordan3love and @kurtbenkert , you guys made every day so much fun and I’m so thankful for the daily laughs and stress relief you brought me every week of the year. I love you guys.

To the Friday Crew, @aiydacobb , @rcobb18 , @frankieshebby , and @davidbakhtiari , I loved every moment we got to spend together this year. Your love and support was overwhelming, and I cherish the friendships I have with each of you.
To my teammates, past and current, you are the icing on the beautiful cake we call our job; football. the friendships that we have will transcend our collective time in this game and I am so thankful for the role that each of you have played in making my life that much better. I love you guys, and cherish the memories we’ve made.

To everyone else,
Spread love and gratitude you beautiful people, and read a book once in a while too while you’re at it. Love and peace ❤️❤️“

Last week Green Bay officially announced the return of Tom Clements as the Packers QBs coach, who spent 11 seasons with Mike McCarthy’s staff in a variety of positions. During that time, the Packers finished in the top 10 in the NFL in scoring offense and total offense nine times.  And Rodgers recently credited Clements for his success.  “I’m thankful, deeply thankful, to guys like Joe Philbin and Tom Clements and Alex Van Pelt, who’ve helped me understand that facet of leadership and being a quarterback,” said Rodgers.

On the morning of this year‘s Super Bowl, ESPN’s Adam Shefter stated on Twitter, “Packers are prepared to go all in for Aaron Rodgers in 2022, spending as close to the cap this year and spreading it into future years as much as possible, per sources.”   

Last year, Rodgers stated he would like to be part of the process when it comes to free agency and the Packers roster. By bringing in Randall Cobb last year, it would appear that Rodgers has enough power within the organization to influence some roster moves, so there’s no reason for him not to have the same leverage this off-season. If the Packers approach is truly “All-In,” then they are going to have to bite the bullet and pay for both Rodgers and Adams. This means there are going to be several other players who restructure their contracts or find work elsewhere.

Something else to ponder is the fact that if Rodgers wins another MVP and a Super Bowl, he will tie Peyton Manning in each of those categories with 5 MVPs, while hoisting the Lombardi trophy twice.  That’s rare company, and in reality, there are really only three scenarios for Aaron Rodgers future. Play in Green Bay, play elsewhere, or retire.  If he chooses the latter, that means he would be enshrined at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in five years with both Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger.

After stating that he does not want to be part of a “rebuild,” there are only a handful of franchises that need a proven quarterback and are ready to make a run in the playoffs.

The front runners would be Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Denver, and San Francisco. The first 3 are all logical choices in the AFC. The 49ers have a consistent run game and defense, and with playmakers like Deebo Samuel and George Kittle, it would appear going back to Northern California would be about as attractive as any place. And it could be one of those situations where, if you can’t beat them, join them.

But the trading price will be high for Rodgers to the tune of at least two or three first-round draft picks and some other form of compensation.  And it’s safe to say that Mark Murphy, Brian Gutekunst, and Matt LaFleur wouldn’t trade him to an NFC rival unless they got a king’s ransom for him.

The easy solution for Rodgers would be to stay in Green Bay. And we all might know if that happens as soon as Tuesday afternoon.