(Reuters) – Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said his future with the team is “uncertain” in the wake of their 31-26 defeat by Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Sunday’s NFC Championship game.
Rodgers, who has spent 16 seasons with the Packers and is considered one of the NFL’s all-time greats, was drafted by Green Bay in 2005 and won the Super Bowl with the team in 2011.
The 37-year-old threw for 4,299 yards in the regular season and finished with the league’s best passer rating but saw his team crash out in the NFC Championship showdown for the second straight season.
“There’s a lot of unknowns going into this offseason,” “I’m going to have to take some time away for sure, and clear my head and just kind of see what’s going on with everything.
“It’s pretty tough right now, especially thinking about the guys that may or may not be here next year,” Rodgers told reporters. “There’s always change, that’s the only constant in this business.
“It’s a grind to get to this point, and that makes the finality of it all kind of hit you like a ton of bricks. A lot of guys’ … futures are uncertain, myself included.”
Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur sid he hoped Rodgers would remain with the Packers next season.
“The guy is the MVP of this league. He’s the heart and soul of our football team. He better be back here. He’s our leader,” LaFleur said.
(Reporting by Arvind Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
