“Around the corner” - Colin Cowherd expects Aaron Rodgers to retire after 2022 with a disappointing postseason

Aaron Rodgers isn't going to stay in the NFL for long, according to The Herd host Colin Cowherd. According to the FS1 podcaster, the Packers quarterback is set to disappoint in the playoffs before making good on his recent retirement threats.

Cowherd has little faith in Rodgers reaching the finish line of his three-year, $150 million extension and shared as much on The Herd:

“Aaron Rodgers went all in on retirement talk. I have said I do not feel he's going to last three years in Green Bay. I would not be shocked if he shut it down after another disappointing postseason. When guys start to verbalize things, it's true. When Jason Tatum verbalizes his lack of confidence, you can see it."

Cowherd added that due to Rodgers' comments on retirement, the Packers front office acknowledged that the quarterback has three one-year deals and not a single three-year deal:

"Aaron Rodgers came out and said, 'I think about retirement all the time.' This is why the front office for the Green Bay Packers, Mark Murphy, acknowledged Aaron does not have a three-year contract with a team. He's got three one-year deals. I give Aaron credit for being authentic and honest about it. But when you start talking about retirement, it's generally around the corner”

Aaron Rodgers is facing a do-or-die season in 2022

Rodgers may have done himself a disservice by being so dominant during the previous two regular seasons. Falling short in the NFC Championship against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was far more forgivable than losing to Jimmy Garropolo on the way out of San Francisco in the Divisional Round. Still, both come off as disappointing when juxtaposed with a regular-season MVP award the same season.

In a 2022 season where he'll be without Davante Adams for the first time since 2013—a campaign that concluded with an 8-7-1 record and a Wild Card Round exit—Rodgers must somehow get over the hump.

The NFC North is the least of his worries. Come playoff time, the Los Angeles Rams, the Buccaneers, the San Francisco 49ers (if Trey Lance is the answer under center), and the Arizona Cardinals all loom as obstacles that could send the No. 12 to an early retirement.

It comes down to Allen Lazard, Christian Watson, Randall Cobb, and Sammy Watkins patching together enough big plays after the catch to preserve Rodgers' body for the long haul of a deep NFL postseason run. Aaron Jones avoiding another step back in 2022 would go a long way towards Green Bay finally delivering a second Vince Lombardi Trophy in the Aaron Rodgers era.