Aaron Rodgers finally completes four-day darkness retreat in Oregon

Aaron Rodgers has finally completed his four-day darkness retreat, the owner of the facility in southern Oregon has revealed, as the football world awaits to hear his time spent there and whether he’s made a decision on his future.

Scott Berman, owner of Sky Cave Retreats in Ashland, confirmed to ESPN that the 39-year-old left the refuge on Wednesday. 

Prior to traveling out west, Rodgers said on ‘The Pat McAfee Show’ on February 14 that he had planned to spend four days and four nights in total darkness so that he could ‘have a better sense of where I’m at in my life.’ 

The 2011 Super Bowl champion stressed that he wasn’t just going to the retreat to decided whether to keep playing football in Green Bay, elsewhere or call time on his career. Rodgers is under contract with Green Bay for $59.465million guaranteed if he keeps on playing next season. 

The four-time NFL MVP has only played for the Packers in his 18-year NFL career. Last season proved to be a difficult one by the quarterback’s standards after having won the league MVP in 2020 and 2021. 

In most games, he played with a broken thumb and had to deal with the absence of star wideout Davante Adams, who was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders in March. 

Rodgers had his lowest passing rating as a starter and threw 12 interceptions, his highest single-season total since 2008. The Packers went on to have a losing season (8-9) and missed the playoffs to end a string of three straight NFC Noirth titles.

And ahead of his retreat on the West Coast, Rodgers was fully aware that there’s a possbility the Packers may want to move him on this offseason, regardless of his plans. 

‘It’s going to be a little more time for my decision,’ Rodgers said on ‘The Pat McAfee Show’ in January. ‘I feel confident that in a couple of weeks I’ll feel definitely more strongly about one of the two decisions.’

The first decision is whether he wants to play at all.

‘You’ve got to be cognizant of what was going through your mind during the season,’ Rodgers said. ‘Did you enjoy the grind as much? Did you enjoy practice? Did you enjoy the meeting time? Did you enjoy the routine? And not forget about those feelings and make an emotional response either way. I think that’s important.’

Asked if he would decide on his plans and would then call the Packers, who would then let him know what they’re thinking, Rodgers said: ‘I think so.’

‘It sounds like there’s already conversations going on that aren’t involving me, which are interesting,’ he added. 

The Packers are still believed to want to keep Rodgers, who they drafted in 2005, for next season. On one condition, however. 

‘If he wants to return to Green Bay and as long as he’s fully bought in, the Packers want him back,’ NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero said Tuesday on ‘The Rich Eisen Show.’  

Initially, it was believed that the Packers front office was ‘disgusted’ and ‘done’ with its star, according to longtime beat reporter Bob McGinn.

Bob McGinn – who covered the Packers for close to 40 years with the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel and Green Bay Press-Gazette before his retirement in 2017 – was speaking on a podcast for GoLongTD.com when he said his ‘instincts’ have him believing the Packers are preparing to part ways with their longtime signal caller.

‘As of right now, I’m convinced — based on my own instincts and knowing the NFL and knowing what happens after all these defeats and discussions with someone who has firsthand knowledge of this organization, of the Packers’ internal debates — that they are done with Rodgers,’ McGinn said. 

‘That’s the way it is right now, that he’s not coming back. They’re disgusted with him and they’re done with him and they’re moving on. This is going to involve money and a trade partner and all kinds of things.

‘I’m totally convinced he is not going to be their starting quarterback this year. On the other hand, they love Jordan Love. They think he’s the second coming now.’

McGinn later addded that Packers execs, including president Mark Murphy, GM Brian Gutekunst and head coach Matt LaFleur, believe that Rodgers’ work ethic isn’t up to standard as it used to be and that they are ready to move him on. 

Pelissero couldn’t confirm those reports but noted how the Packers believed in its star last year by taking on his contract demands. 

‘I would say nobody has told me they are disgusted with Aaron Rodgers,’ Pelissero said. 

‘I think that it is natural when you give someone an unprecedented type of contract, basically ripping up the remaining contract and giving him what amounts to a three-year, $150 million-plus deal like they did last year, you’re anticipating you’re gonna get somebody who’s fully bought in and is going to play at a really high level, and it didn’t work out that way in 2022. 

‘He had the finger injury that probably impacted him more than people realized at the time, he had some other injuries he played through.’