If you read Packers QB Aaron Rodgers' most recent social media post as isolated and heartfelt, then it is no more than a man taking stock of his life and expressing gratitude for the good things that have happened in the last year.
Aaron Rodgers posts on Instagram, gets attention he craves
The Packers QB is slated to make a decision about his future soon. But first, he's leaving people guessing.
February 23, 2022 at 12:57PM
On Instagram, Rodgers used the hashtag #MondayNightGratitude to thank several people, including teammates and Shailene Woodley, the actress with whom Rodgers recently split up.
In the section about teammates, Rodgers concludes by saying: "I love you guys, and cherish the memories we've made."
A lot of it keeps you guessing about Rodgers' motive: Nothing more than sincere thanks? A bittersweet farewell to Woodley? A farewell to Green Bay also? A sign he wants to stay with the Packers?
Having been down the road of trying to parse Rodgers' words and actions, I would recommend perhaps taking a step back from that cycle.
As I talked about on Tuesday's Daily Delivery podcast, this all seems like part of a pattern of attention-seeking behavior (Rodgers, not the podcast).
Remember, it was the night of the NFL Draft last year when word leaked that Rodgers was unhappy in Green Bay. Maybe that was beyond Rodgers' control. Maybe he wasn't the source. But the saga endured for months, culminating with a season in which Rodgers:
- Seemed to embrace the Packers front office more.
- Lied about his vaccination status.
- Won another MVP award.
- Flamed out in the playoffs again.
- Said he would decide his future in late February or early March.
So that's where we are now, seeing as how this is late February. Because Rodgers has some leverage this time around ... and because he has said he will make a decision soon ... and because his future is very much tied to that of free agent receiver Davante Adams ... this saga figures to be resolved more quickly.
But not before Rodgers wedged his way back into another news cycle. Rodgers might eventually say he was merely expressing himself on social media, but he's smart and calculating. He knew his words would be parsed.
There are other less public ways to express gratitude for the people in your life. Like, say, with some phone calls or text messages.
He wanted the attention. It worked, even if the message here is simple: Ignore it.
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