GREEN BAY, Delete. – Many wonder how many more chances Aaron Rodgers will have to return to the Super Bowl, but the Green Bay Packers quarterback is not claiming to be one of them.
Within days of his fifth NFC Championship Game and fourth since his only Super Bowl appearance 10 years ago, Rodgers insisted that Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was not his last chance for him to return to the contest. NFL title even at age 37 and with his eventual replacement on the Packers roster.
“I always try to stay in the present, especially this year, and enjoy the moment. I hope there are more opportunities, but I don’t know, really, I don’t know, ”said Rodgers. ‘I can’t control that. My future is a beautiful mystery. The gift is a great gift to be in the moment and thankful to be in this situation again, with my teammates, for having fans in the stadium and maybe snow at an NFC Championship Game.
“Insurance. I’m going to enjoy these moments and not just worry about what’s going to happen,” he insisted.
That may have been Rodgers’ attitude for most of the season. After the Packers increased the first-round order of selection of the final draft to quarterback Jordan Love, Rodgers acknowledged that he may no longer be able to determine how his time in Green Bay would end.
From then on, however, his teammates and coaches reported that Rodgers was in the best mood they’d ever seen him. The result may be Rodgers’ third prize for Most Valuable Player in the NFL.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to be the leader of my teammates, to play the way I want to play, to be called to take a greater leadership role,” said Rodgers. “Those things are really important to me, but everything else is something I’m not going to focus on because what happens in the future is a beautiful mystery to me. He will have to face that future. Now I’m just going to enjoy the present. “
Rodgers wants to make the Super Bowl a second time. The Packers, who were defeated by the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Finals last year, tied their record of 13-3 last season, but this time finished with the first seed and have the number one bout in runs scored.
After his last two defeats in the NFC Championship Game, Rodgers said he was eager to play this game at home and his wish was granted.
“There is no more pressure than usual,” said Rodgers when asked. “Often media stories, pressure and comments like that are good for the stories you (reporters) write, but in my opinion it all starts with mindset and focus. Obviously, I force myself to play well each week and it says a lot about being able to turn the pressure and fear of failure and focus on something really positive. It’s something you’ve learned over the years, but I don’t feel any pressure from this game.
“I am certainly grateful to come back to this point. Many people did not believe that we would return after last season. We got some interesting feedback that we were the worst 13-3 team people had ever seen. Now the comments are not the same. Obviously we play better on offense and I am very grateful to be back, grateful to have the opportunity to play, ”concluded Rodgers.