Aaron Rodgers will not be the next Tony Romo when he eventually decides to retire.
The 42-year-old made that clear during a surprise appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday, as he attempted to get out ahead of multiple narratives, including the media mousetrap that’s become the mysterious identity of his wife. Her identity has been confirmed in part by Fox sideline reporter Jen Hale, who has never met Mrs. Rodgers, but the future Hall of Famer would like to keep that way.
Rodgers, who is obviously no stranger to the spotlight, has vowed to fade away from the public eye when his career comes to a close. While he hasn’t decided whether his playing career will continue for another go-round with Mike McCarthy and the Pittsburgh Steelers, he has decided on his future in the media.
“We’re not going to live a public life,” Rodgers said regarding the increased public scrutiny of his wife’s identity. “We’re not going to now. Not in the future. Not ever. When this is done, it’s Keyser Söze. You won’t see me. I’m not doing TV. I’m not going to be out and about.”
It’d be fair to say that Rodgers wants to be immunized from public life now that he’s been matrimornialized. This isn’t a new position, though — he’s been saying it since long before he had a wife to shield from the spotlight, telling McAfee as far back as 2020 that he had no interest in TV or coaching when his playing days were done.
“I just feel like, when I’m done, I want to be done,” he said then. “I think it would be fun to help out an age group that I feel is real impressionable still, like high school kids. I think being able to volunteer, help, or just help with some quarterback stuff would be fun. Just because I love the game so much, I don’t want to totally get out of it. But as far as the pro level? Yeah, I don’t see myself doing anything with it. I’ve given physically so much to the game, and mentally all the years. I feel like I’ll be pretty satisfied with what I did and what I contributed, and move on at that point.”
He echoed those sentiments two years later when McAfee asked him about retirement and whether he was more likely to enter coaching or the media. Rodgers requested an alternative, implying he has no interest in either option, even after seeing Tom Brady receive a $375 million contract from Fox. Not only did Rodgers brush off the idea of entering the media in retirement, but the four-time NFL MVP also said he can envision himself becoming a Sherpa instead.
But even if he wanted to pursue a broadcast career rather than summit a mountain, the door appears to be closed from both sides. Colin Cowherd may think he has a Charles Barkley-style rebirth in him, but network executives don’t. According to Front Office Sports’ Michael McCarthy, none of the executives or talent agents he spoke with would go on record about Rodgers, but privately, they expressed concern that he’d come across as a “pompous know-it-all” who could alienate viewers.
“Yes, he could be a great analyst,” one source told McCarthy. “But he’s insufferable.”
The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand made that plain last April, pointing out that nearly every quarterback on the all-time top-20 list has either gone into television or had the option to. Rodgers, Marchand said, will likely be one of the rare exceptions — not because of the football, but because no network wants to hold its breath every time he opens his mouth.
“But in terms of a network, does any network really want to take a chance on Aaron Rodgers? I don’t think so,” Marchand said. “And that’s pretty amazing considering Super Bowl winner, all-time great.”
He added, perhaps presciently: “And I’m sure Aaron Rodgers would say, ‘I don’t want them anyway.’”
For once, Aaron Rodgers and the media industry are in complete agreement.
