"At some point the ride stops and you have to get off" - Aaron Rodgers isn't willing to put retirement rumors to bed just yet

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers made his weekly appearance on The Pat McAfee Show. Rodgers spoke to McAfee and former teammate AJ Hawk about the possibility of retirement after the 2021 season.

The 10-time Pro Bowl said on the topic:

"I've given a lot of my life to this game. I've been starting since eighth grade, obviously, four years in high school. Then played three years in college. But at some point the ride stops and you got to get off. You want to still be able to play, still be able to walk, be able to have cognitive brain function when you're done playing, those are important.”

Rodgers told McAfee that he has been focusing on the present and not the future when it comes to his time in Green Bay:

“I've really been trying this year to just stay in the present as much as possible. That's hard because people want to talk about my future and what I want to do and I respect that, I appreciate that. But for me I can't have two feet in the in the past, living in the nostalgia. What we've accomplished and the amazing memories. Or have two feet the future thinking about the decisions that are looming and moving forward. I've just tried to remain in the present and that's allowed me to just enjoy the little things.”

The Packers signal-caller finished the retirement conversation with an acknowledgment of all the people he encountered and the relationships he made as a player:

"A lot of that is just the mindset. This perspective, you know what you focus on and where your focus is, your energy flows. And my focus has been on this team and these guys. The relationships that have with the players and the coaches, the front office, equipment guys, trainers, the cafeteria staff and all those things that make every day, going to work that much more special. I think that allows you to just live with a little bit more gratitude, a little bit more joy every day."

Will Rodgers retire as a Green Bay Packer?

Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers

Rodgers has spent his entire 17-year NFL career with the Packers organization. He was drafted in the first round (24th overall) of the 2005 NFL Draft. Rodgers became a full-time starter in 2008, replacing Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre.

The three-time All-Pro led Green Bay to the Super Bowl in 2011, helping the team defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25 and winning Super Bowl MVP.

There are rumors that Rodgers will either call it a career or don a new uniform in 2022. In either case, he will have a gold jacket waiting for him at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.