New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers seemed more somber than usual in his postgame press conference on Sunday with FOX sideline reporter Pam Oliver. “I love you,” he told the longtime journalist with a hug. “I love you back,” Oliver said.
Sunday may have marked the final game of Rodgers’s storybook NFL career and if it was, he went out in style: the 41-year-old turned back the clock by completing 23 of his 36 passes for 274 yards and four touchdowns in a 32-20 win over the playoff-hopeful Miami Dolphins.
Oliver was respectful, not asking the Jets quarterback if this was his last game but instead: “What will you do in the coming days and coming months before you decide on your next path?”
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“I’m going to get home and relax,” the four-time NFL MVP admitted. “I’m going to clear out my head and get healthy from the bumps and bruises of the season.
“I’ve got a lot of gratitude right now. Once I get back out West, I’m going to take my time. I’m not going to hold anyone up. I’m gonna have conversations tomorrow with everybody here at the Jets and see what they’re thinking, and then we’ll make a decision before it gets too late in the offseason,” he continued.
The Jets limped to a 5-12 record after a promising 2-1 start, prompting New York to fire head coach Robert Saleh in October in favor of interim coach Jeff Ulbrich.
Rodgers celebrates one of his four touchdown passes on Sunday (
Getty Images)
Outside of throwing his 500th career touchdown on Sunday to tight end Tyler Conklin, Rodgers did not have the most memorable campaign on the field.
The veteran completed 63.0 perceent of his passes for 3,897 yards with a 28-11 touchdown-interception ratio and a 48.2 QBR – the second-lowest mark of his career as a full-time starter.
“I know I can still play,” Rodgers admitted postgame. “I know I can still do the things I need to do to be successful. It just comes down to the desire on their side and then, ultimately, my desire to play, kind of take some time mentally and physically to rest and relax.”
Even if Rodgers thinks he can still play, the decision lies in the hands of Jets management. New York would save $9.5 million by designating the 41-year-old quarterback as a post-6/1 release.
Additionally, Jets head coaching candidate Rex Ryan offered a brutal reality for Rodgers should he be named the team’s next coach. “If [Rodgers] comes back, things would be different,” Ryan told ESPN radio on Monday. “If he’s back, it ain’t gonna be the country club, show up whenever the hell you want to show up. That ain’t gonna happen. I’ll just leave it at that.”
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