Deciphering Aaron Rodgers' cryptic Instagram message
Aaron Rodgers is speaking out — but his message isn't coming through clearly.
Rodgers took to Instagram on Monday night to send a message to ex-fiancée Shailene Woodley, but he quickly turned his attention to the Green Bay Packers organization, shouting out current and former teammates in what appeared to be a heartfelt "thank you" that could also be considered a farewell.
Mixed in with a photo of Rodgers and Woodley and a photo of a quote from Rumi — one that reads, "Gratitude is the wine for the soul. Go on. Get drunk." — Rodgers posted multiple photos dedicated to his Packers teammates, including Davante Adams, Jordan Love, Randall Cobb and others.
Wrote Rodgers: "To the men I got to share the QB room with everyday, Matt, Nathaniel, Luke, @jordan3love and @kurtbenkert , you guys made every day so much fun and I’m so thankful for the daily laughs and stress relief you brought me every week of the year. I love you guys.
"To the Friday Crew, @aiydacobb , @rcobb18 , @frankieshebby , and @davidbakhtiari , I loved every moment we got to spend together this year. Your love and support was overwhelming, and I cherish the friendships I have with each of you."
Rodgers finished with this: "To my teammates, past and current, you are the icing on the beautiful cake we call our job; football. the friendships that we have will transcend our collective time in this game and I am so thankful for the role that each of you have played in making my life that much better. I love you guys, and cherish the memories we’ve made."
What are you telling us, Aaron?!
Colin Cowherd isn't sure, but he compared the attention the longtime Packers quarterback is getting to the actions of his predecessor, Brett Favre, outlining what he calls the "Green Bay quarterback syndrome."
"There's a reason that Favre — from the South, good ol' boy — and Aaron Rodgers — NorCal hipster, connected to Hollywood — have become the same guy. It's the ‘Green Bay quarterback syndrome.’ Because you have no owner, and you don't get free agents, you're not only the franchise quarterback — you're the franchise. … At the end of regular seasons, Favre and Rodgers can win MVPs and dominate the division and have the passer rating and no title. One for both.
"So I think it creates the 'Green Bay quarterback syndrome.'"
The "First Things First" crew spent a majority of Tuesday morning decoding Rodgers' cryptic message to the best of their ability, and for Nick Wright, it was simple: Rodgers is reeling from a breakup.
"Aaron Rodgers is a little sad after going through a breakup. … You don't think this is a sad, a little drunk IG post? I do. … I don't think it's that complicated."
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On Monday, Aaron Rodgers spent his evening reflecting and showing gratitude to everyone in his life, including his teammates.
There have been thoughts early this offseason that Rodgers could return to Green Bay next season, could be traded or could hang up the cleats à la Tom Brady.
Could Rodgers' Instagram post be the beginning of his farewell tour?
Chris Broussard said he hopes that isn't the case, even though the Packers have failed to reach the Super Bowl in each of the past two seasons, despite being the top seed in the NFC.
Rodgers just added another chapter to the most intriguing offseason saga the NFL has to offer. He explained a bit about his Monday message on "The Pat McAfee Show" on Tuesday, saying it was only meant to convey gratitude.
"I just came out of a 12-day cleanse where you're eating a specific diet, and you're going through these treatments every day. And you're not really doing anything else. You've gotta turn everything off. … It's kind of a re-centering. …. So when I come out, my first thought is intense gratitude for the people in my life."
Here's how the Twitter world reacted to Rodgers' post: