GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – Depending on when listeners tuned into Aaron Rodgers on The Pat McAfee Show, they may have thought Rodgers hated the organization or loved everything about Green Bay.

For nearly an hour on March 15, Rodgers pulled back the curtain and spoke in detail about what led up to his intentions to play for the New York Jets. Rodgers said he wanted to clear things up for those who are interested in the situation.

He said that in 2020 the Packers drafted Jordan Love to ‘replace him’, and the team did this because the Packers organization ‘like to get rid of players a year early instead of a year late’. The front office looked completely different when he was drafted back in 2005.

Ted Thompson, John Schneider, Reggie McKenzie, John Dorsey and Elliot Wolf were mentioned by Rodgers in the interview. 15 years later, none of those people was there when Love was drafted.

However, Rodgers lists multiple other people inside the building who he greatly appreciates.

When this past season ended, Rodgers stated he didn’t have an MVP-caliber season and was interested in where the team would be at mentally. Everything Rodgers was reportedly told during his week in Green Bay, was that the team wanted him to retire a Packer and for him to ‘take as much time as he needed’.

Then he says ‘something changed’ when he came out of his darkness retreat. Rodgers says he heard from people that he trusts, that the Packers were interested in trading him.

Going into his retreat, Rodgers said he was leaning 90% toward retiring and 10% toward playing. Rodgers mentioned that he made it clear that his intention was to play for the New York Jets.

The delay in an actual trade, according to Rodgers, is the Packers ‘digging their heels in’.

“I haven’t been holding anything up at this point, it has been compensation that the Packers are trying to get for me. Kind of digging their heels in,” said Rodgers.

He followed that up by saying he has love, appreciation and gratitude for the Packers organization and the fans. Rodgers said he has been pretty hands-off in the whole trade process.

Rodgers brought up multiple local spots in Green Bay and how great the fanbase is. “My life is better because of my time in Green Bay.” – Rodgers

When former Packer AJ Hawk asked if Rodgers would have returned to the Packers if the team would have told him they wanted him back, he said ‘not really’. Rodgers said he knew that wasn’t going to happen because that wasn’t the sentiment he felt throughout the season.

Rodgers mentioned that he doesn’t have any malice, and Packer fans are passionate. He also said that the ‘G’ of the Green Bay Packers means something and told that to other players.

When it comes to his time in Green Bay, Rodgers said he is debatably the greatest Packer player of all time. ‘Nobody has bled green and gold like me,’ said Rodgers.

Throughout the interview, Rodgers never shied away from showing his admiration for the city of Green Bay and its fans.

As Rodgers’ tenure with the Packers nears its ever-apparent ending, one thing is for sure, #12 will always be remembered in Green Bay.

Love appears to be the heir apparent to the starting quarterback position in the 920, and Rodgers didn’t hesitate to give high praise to him.

As the seasons change in Wisconsin, its football team is not far behind.