Not long ago, it seemed as if both Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady and Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers would retire after the 2022 season. Now, as the final third of the current campaign commences, there’s a much different vibe.
As to Brady, his recent comment that he’d rather lose than not play at all doesn’t sound like a guy who has only six regular-season games to play.
“I love competing still, but, you know, at this point, like people always say, it’s day-to-day, game-to-game at this point,” Brady said on his Let’s Go! podcast on SiriusXM. “And really I’m just focused on what we need to do to improve this week and go out and practice. And that’s what I’ve always enjoyed about football. I love the sport, so I love the preparation for it.”
Does he love the idea that it soon may be ending for good? Maybe not.
Does it mean he’d continue his career with a team other than the Buccaneers? Maybe not.
As to Rodgers, he is owed $59.465 million in fully-guaranteed compensation for 2023. Why would he walk away from that? There’s no way the Packers can cut him if he decides not to retire. A post-June 1 trade is possible, but even then the cap consequences would be very significant.
Yes, Rodgers has said he thinks about retirement all the time. But he may not want 2022 to be his last act in football. And he may not want to give up nearly $60 million for one more year.
There’s ultimately only one reason for Rodgers to retire. If Brady keeps playing, it means that Rodgers and Brady won’t enter the Hall of Fame at the same time. Which means that Rodgers won’t be the remote second fiddle to Brady for that weekend in Canton.
So maybe they’ll both be back. Maybe one will be back. Still, weeks after it seemed like neither will be back, it’s hard to imagine both being gone.