Is Aaron Rodgers preparing for life in retirement? Packers QB brings up 'business stuff' in first comments since darkness retreat

Aaron Rodgers spent four days in a darkness retreat to apparently seek clarity on what he wants out of his future. He has major questions to answer during the 2023 NFL offseason as the Green Bay Packers are reportedly waiting to hear from him about his future. They claim to be unsure whether or not he wants to return to the team or seek new opportunities.

While Aaron Rodgers is yet to give a straight answer about his intentions for the 2023 NFL season, he has finally begun speaking about his experience in the darkness retreat and what it did to his current mindset. He discussed the process during a recent appearance on the "Aubrey Marcus Podcast" this week.

When asked about the possibility of retirement, Rodgers gave this interesting response:

"I thought I'm fine, I got my foundation. I got philanthropic stuff I want to be a part of. I got business stuff that I've been cultivating for years now. I have, you know, dreams outside of the game. I want to travel. I want to get my body back and not wake up hurt. You know, and all these different thoughts that I had, that I thought was like my justification, probably totally fine.

"I got friendships. I got lots of land next to best friends and life to experience and, you know, hopefully fatherhood and kids and all these different things. But there were some deep insecurities and fears that came up in the darkness around what retirement is and I really had to sit with those and go to the root of what those are."

Retirement appears to be one of three options for Aaron Rodgers during the 2023 NFL offseason, along with returning to the Packers or requesting to be traded to a new team. While his comments surely suggest that a retirement is a legitimate option for him this year, it's highly unlikely given his current contract situation.

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How much money will Aaron Rodgers lose in 2023 if he retires?

Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers

Aaron Rodgers signed a record-breaking contract extension with the Green Bay Packers prior to the start of the 2022 NFL season. His new deal made him the first athlete in American sports history to make an average annual value of more than $50 million. The issue is that if he decides to retire before the 2023 NFL season, he will miss out on a large portion of his guaranteed money.

The Packers owe Aaron Rodgers a roster bonus of $58.3 million when the new league year begins. They will be required to pay between May 15th and September 1st, as long as he's still on their roster. It's also fully guaranteed if he switches to a new team.

The only way he won't receive his roster bonus is if he doesn't play in the NFL in 2023. This makes it extremely unlikely that he will retire and surrender nearly $60 million in guaranteed money. It's simply an unwise business decision.