Aaron Rodgers after his darkness retreat: 'I'll make a decision soon enough'

Aaron Rodgers’ four-day darkness retreat brought him closer to making a decision on his future, one that will impact not just the Packers but a number of other teams — including the Jets — who are lined up as potential suitors should the 39-year-old quarterback become part of a trade.

As for what that decision will be, or if it has been made, Rodgers isn’t yet shedding light on the matter.

"For everybody involved directly and indirectly, it's best for a decision earlier," Rodgers said on the “Aubrey Marcus Podcast” that became available on Wednesday. "I feel really good about the conversations that are going to be had, that have been had, with the important people in my life that help to orient me. But I'm not looking for somebody to tell me what the answer is. All the answers are right inside me, and I touched many of them — and definitely the feelings — on both sides during the darkness. I'm thankful for that time.

"There's a finality to the decision,” he continued. “I don't make it lightly. I don't want to drag anybody around. Look, I'm answering questions about it because I got asked about it. I'm talking about it because it's important to me. If you don't like it and you think it's drama, you think I'm being a diva or whatever, then just tune it out. That's fine. But this is my life. It's important to me, and I'll make a decision soon enough and we'll go down that road and be really excited about it."

The four-time MVP basically has three options: He can retire, he can return to the Packers, or he can ask to be traded. Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said at the NFL Combine on Tuesday there has been little or no conversation with Rodgers since they wrapped up their season. Jets general manager Joe Douglas, also speaking at the Combine, could not address Rodgers specifically since he is under contract with another club but reiterated that the Jets are interested in adding a proven veteran quarterback this offseason.

“When a decision is ready to be made, I feel very strongly we’re going to make the right decision for the Jets,” he said.

While there is no deadline for any decision to be made, Gutekunst said he hoped to know Rodgers’ plans before free agency starts in about two weeks.

On the podcast, Rodgers defended his unorthodox and mostly ridiculed decision-making technique.

"I just needed to get the opportunity to reset," Rodgers said. "As it got closer and closer, obviously there was a lot of other questions about my future that have been on the mind and have been contemplated. I knew it would be a good opportunity to kind of sit with those things. But that wasn't the main reason I was doing it. It was, how often do we unplug? How often do we even set our phones down for a little bit, read a book instead of watch TV, you know? Meditate instead of listen to music. Whatever it might be that allows us to kind of disconnect from technology and the world and give ourselves the gift of rest.”

He said he went into his retreat feeling there was "one scary option and one unknown." He said he spent parts of his time imagining his life after deciding.

"The scary was retirement, and the unknown was going back and playing and what does that mean?" Rodgers said. "Is that Green Bay or somewhere else? If that's somewhere else, what is it like being somewhere else? Now it feels like there are two very beautiful options that both feel really nourishing and special."

During the one-hour-and-41-minute podcast Rodgers also addressed the idea that he might not be as motivated as he was earlier in his career.

“I've been doubted before,” he said. “Honestly, I felt in the first year that Matt [LaFleur] was here [in 2019] I felt at times like a game manager. I didn't quite understand what we were doing at times on offense. My job is to take care of the football, and I did. I threw four interceptions and 26 touchdowns and we were 13-3, but I felt like there was so much more. Then they drafted my replacement. And then I won MVP twice. I threw 85 touchdowns and nine interceptions in two years. Obviously, there were changes that happened on the team and the coaching staff and I didn't have my best year playing and there's probably people who think I'm done. I thought I was done before I became MVP twice. There would be plenty of inspiration down that road.

“I have a great peace about it that I did not have without the darkness, so I'm really thankful for that experience, and the stuff I worked through. It's all connected."

By Tom Rock

tom.rock@newsday.com@TomRock_Newsday

Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.