Aaron Rodgers took the stylish exit after his long-awaited trade to the New York Jets went down on Monday.
The former Green Bay Packers quarterback posted a lengthy farewell letter on Instagram on Tuesday, thanking the organization and the Packers fanbase after 18 years, along with photos documenting his journey from draft to four-time MVP. .
He ended the message by saying that he will see Green Bay again and will always feel a connection to the city:
“It’s not the end for us, I’ll see you Green Bay again, you’ll always have my heart.”
Rodgers mentioned 40 different people by name in the farewell, including former general manager Ted Thompson, former head coach Mike McCarthy, current head coach Matt LaFleur and several members of the coaching staff, from coaching staff and public relations team. As Rodgers has done in the past, many are referred to by nicknames.
The 39-year-old quarterback even yelled at current Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst, a man he’s reportedly rivaled in recent years. No current or former Packers player is mentioned by name, with Rodgers thanking them all instead.
One of Rodgers’ best friends on the Packers, left tackle David Bakhtiari, posted his own goodbye hours prior, with Nickelback musical accompaniment.
Rodgers’ farewell is a nice gesture considering the tenuousness of his stay in Green Bay in his later years and the length of his outing. After several offseason retirements and trade speculation (including an actual trade request in 2021), Rodgers announced on March 15 that he planned to play for the Jets next season. It took more than a month for the Packers and Jets to reach an agreement.
The end result is Rodgers heading to New York in exchange for a trade of first-round pick, second-round pick, and sixth-round pick in 2023, plus another second-round pick in 2024. who becomes a first-round pick if Rodgers plays 65% of the Jets’ offensive snaps next season. The Jets also receive a fifth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, which begins Thursday.
Rodgers joins a Jets team with huge expectations. The franchise went 7-10 last season and looked competent at times despite the NFL’s last passer rating, and it’s now adding the second-most efficient quarterback in NFL history according to this. same metric.
Aaron Rodgers’ complete farewell to the Packers
I’m not sure it’s possible to fully express the gratitude I have to the @packers, our amazing fans, the state of Wisconsin, the thousands of players I’ve met, the incredible men and women who work for the organization, and the amazing people I’ve met along the way, in a post with 10 photos, but I hope you read this and feel my heart and soul, filled with love, joy and peace about my time in green and gold. 💚💛
I grew up in Green Bay, got drafted at 21, fell in love with the game, met lifelong friends, and take home memories that will last a lifetime.
I am grateful to the late Ted Thompson for drafting me, to my head coaches, especially the 13 years with Mike McCarthy and the last 4 with Matt LaFleur. I’ve had some amazing men to work with in the QB room over the years including Tom, AVP, Luke and Connor.
Big thanks to my guys in the gear room, Red, TBone, Odea, Kev, Bryan, Andy Grouber, All my dear friends in the workout room over the years, Nate, Flea, Doc McKenzie, Doc Gray , Pepp and Cuz . The legendary Adam Korzun and his amazing staff; Dougie, Crabby and Scotty, for always watching over me; Tom, Nate, Sarah and Jason for PR, Evan for bringing my professional life to the movies, The Rock and Wayne for giving words to the highlights of my career, Gray and Big Rob for your work with our guys over years, Bloke, Thad, Grant and Gizz in the weight room, Bob Harlan, Russ Ball, Mark Murphy and Brian Gutekunst for your management of the organization, each of the 3rd and 4th floors that keep this building running smoothly, and so many countless others at the loading dock, tours, dealerships, maintenance, our field team, etc.
To the fans, THANK YOU, you made every tunnel exit special, every home game magical, and it was an honor for me to be your QB.
To my teammates, I love you all and am grateful for the moments on and off the pitch that have brought us closer. I played with legends, I played with friends; thank you for believing in me and always having my back ❤️
It’s not the end for us, I’ll see you again Green Bay, you’ll always have my heart ❤️
#grateful #18yo #💚💛