Aaron Rodgers has dropped pebble-sized hints at where he might, and might not, go throughout the Pebble Beach Pro-Am this weekend.
And in his latest, during a CBS Golf interview Saturday, the 39-year-old quarterback acknowledged that “a lot of Raiders fans are encouraging me.”
“Just going to say the predominant team we hear as we’re walking is Raiders,” Rodgers said after he was asked if he had a favorite color or city on his mind for next season. “… A lot of ‘Davante [Adams] misses you’ comments. We’re having some fun with it.”
The comment came two days after he told CBS Sports golf analyst Colt Knost that “I’m not going to San Fran,” and amid heavy speculation about Rodgers joining the Jets after he gushed about their new offensive coordinator, Nathaniel Hackett, Green Bay’s offensive coordinator from 2019-21. Rodgers is part of a group of celebrities at the Pro-Am that includes Bills quarterback Josh Allen, along with retired quarterbacks Alex Smith and Steve Young. Various musicians and actors are participating, too.
Rodgers said in his Saturday interview, which came during a weather delay, that he had a “little inside bet going” for which NFL team would have the most fans at the course. Throughout the weekend, those fans have yelled the names of different teams they’d like to see Rodgers play for if the Packers traded their star quarterback.
The Raiders, in a pressing quarterback situation of their own, could become an intriguing destination for Rodgers. It’d allow for a reunion with Adams — a connection that blossomed in Green Bay from 2014-21 — following a season alongside former college teammate Derek Carr that finished without a postseason berth and with a controversial decision.
After Carr signed a three-year extension in April, first-year head coach Josh McDaniels benched the quarterback for the final two games and opted to start Jarrett Stidham instead. Carr responded by writing a statement on Instagram, where he revealed he “never envisioned it ending this way.”
He added that he looked forward to finding a new team and city following nine years with the Raiders. Carr even joked about his pending divorce with the Raiders during this weekend’s Pro Bowl.
The Packers have a quarterback decision of their own to make, too. This one revolves around whether to stick with Rodgers — who just compiled the worst statistical season of his storied career, but, like Carr, signed an extension last offseason — or turn to quarterback Jordan Love, who enters the final year of his rookie contract and has only been a backup.
