Aaron Rodgers labeled ‘petty and lame’ after Packers QB’s MVP comments

Aaron Rodgers has officially emerged from his infamous darkness retreat and has begun talking a bit about the apparent revelations he discovered about himself. He most recently did so during an episode of the "Aubrey Marcus Podcast." They discussed many different topics on the show, including his role with the Green Bay Packers over the last several years.

Some of the statements that Rodgers made during the podcast appearance have sparked quite a reaction around the NFL world. How he specifically discussed what led to him winning consecutive NFL MVP awards is one of the things that has raised some eyebrows around the league.

Here's what Aaron Rodgers had to say about the topic:

“I didn’t quite understand what we were doing at times on offense and my job was to take care of the football, and I did … But I felt there was so much more. And then they drafted my replacement and I won MVP twice.”

Host of the "Locked on Packers" podcast Peter Bukowski took issue with Rodgers' statement:

"This is so petty and lame. If all it took was them to draft his replacement for him to play like an MVP, why didnt he just like ... play like an MVP before."

Aaron Rodgers is referring to his back-to-back MVP awards for the 2020 and 2021 seasons. This followed the Packers selecting Jordan Love in the first round of the 2020 draft. While Bukowski makes an interesting point that it shouldn't have taken the draft to elevate him to an MVP-caliber player, Rodgers has already won the award twice before this.

He won the award for the first time during the 2011 season, the year after he won his only Super Bowl ring. He also won another MVP award for the 2014 season. He has now won the award four times, just one less than Peyton Manning, who holds the record for the most by any player ever.

Will Aaron Rodgers return to the Packers for the 2023 NFL season?

Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers

Many rumors have been circling in the offseason in relation to Aaron Rodgers' future. All options appear to be on the table for him, including a return to the Packers, requesting a trade to a new team, or possibly even retiring. His time in the darkness retreat was apparently used for him to contemplate his intentions about what he wants to do moving forward.

Many reports have indicated that the Packers organization is yet to hear from Aaron Rodgers about what he desires out of the 2023 season. They are allegedly unsure if he wants to return to Green Bay or seek new opportunities. If he wants to continue playing, but wants to leave the Packers, he will be one of the hottest trade targets in recent memory.

This developing story is one to keep a close eye on, especially with the free agency period set to open in less than two weeks and the 2023 draft less than two months away.