Rodgers still unsure on future, rips Jets for exit

Four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers is still undecided on his future, and he didn't rule out the possibility of retiring as he spoke publicly Thursday afternoon for the first time since being released by the New York Jets last month.

In a nearly 45-minute appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show" on Thursday afternoon, the quarterback offered little clarity on his next steps or a timeline for making a decision, but he said he has been transparent with teams pursuing his services.

"I wasn't stringing anyone along. I wasn't holding anyone hostage," Rodgers said from his house in Malibu, California. "I was honest from the jump about where I was at mentally and some of the constraints I have in my life right now that warrant my attention.

"I'm open to anything and attached to nothing. Retirement could still be a possibility, but right now my focus has been -- and will continue to be -- on my personal life. And that's what I've told the coaches. There's still conversations that are being had. It's all been very honest lines of communication."

He also said next week's NFL draft will have no impact on his plans.

"I was kind of shocked. Now I'm not shocked because I didn't think that was a possibility. Listen, of course, if they want to move on, that's totally fine, but shocked because I just flew across country. You could have told me this on the phone if we weren't even going to have a conversation." Aaron Rodgers, on the Jets telling him they were moving on from him

In refuting reports that he asked for significant money or a multiyear deal, Rodgers said he told teams he would play for $10 million a year.

"I told every single one of the teams I talked to, it ain't about the money," he said. "I'll play for $10M's. I don't care. I never once said I need a multiyear deal, $30 [million or] $40 million. That's absolute bulls---. I said I'll play for 10. Whatever."

A free agent for the first time in his career, Rodgers confirmed he had conversations with the Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers.

At the annual league meeting in Palm Beach, Florida, earlier this month, Steelers owners and team president Art Rooney II said the team keeps "hearing that he's headed in our direction" and he added that while they wouldn't wait on Rodgers forever, they could wait "a little while longer."

Asked by McAfee on Thursday if the Steelers have given him a deadline, Rodgers said he's operating on his own timeline.

"This entire time I haven't felt like I owe anyone a decision at any point," he said. "This is my life now. ... I've been up-front with them about that. If you need to move on, if you need to do something, by all means.

"... I don't think it's fair to the Steelers or anyone while I'm dealing with a lot off the field. I want to keep the lines of communication open. The people who need to know, know."

The Giants followed Rodgers' own advice in late March, withdrawing from the race by signing onetime Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson to a one-year deal to join Jameis Winston in the quarterback room. Rodgers said he enjoyed his conversation with coach Brian Daboll and called him a "beautiful football mind."

Though Rodgers said he has had "good communication" with the Vikings and coach Kevin O'Connell, he said it wasn't accurate that he was waiting for Minnesota to offer him a spot after the team's evaluation of 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy in the offseason program, something former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger suggested as a possibility in a podcast episode with McAfee.

"To make a commitment to a team is a big thing, whether you're a first-year player or a 20-year vet. And I had a lot of great conversations with a lot of teams. Not one of those was the Jets because that wasn't a great conversation. ... I had some good conversations, but I've been up front with all of them." Aaron Rodgers, on his future

Rodgers also detailed his March 21 visit to Pittsburgh, which he said was intended to be a clandestine operation. To avoid attention, Rodgers said he specifically didn't fly into the Pittsburgh International Airport, and he rented a Chevy Malibu to drive himself to and from the Steelers' practice facility.

"I've talked to Mike Tomlin," Rodgers said. "He's more than I even thought from afar, as far as the type of person he is. I have a lot of respect for what he's accomplished in the league. [Offensive coordinator] Arthur Smith, talk about a guy that doesn't need to work, he doesn't need the work, but he's a grinder. We've had a friendship for a couple years now. I like what he's all about. And the quarterback coach, Tom Arth, he was in the quarterback room with me in 2006 in Green Bay. ... Personally, I wanted to see what it was like there at the facility, meet Omar [Khan] in person, just get a glimpse, a snippet of what life would be like in Pittsburgh."

Rodgers spent most of the interview reiterating that his focus since January has revolved around off-the-field issues involving his personal life and inner circle, taking his attention away from football. Because of that, he's not in a rush to make a decision.

"I'm in a different phase of my life," Rodgers said. "I'm 41 years old. I'm in a serious relationship. I have off-the-field stuff going on that requires my attention. I have personal commitments I made not knowing what my future was going to look like after last year that are important to me. And I have a couple people in my inner, inner circle that are really battling some difficult stuff.

"So, I have a lot of things that are taking my attention, and have beginning in really January, away from football. That's been where I've been focusing most of my attention. To make a commitment to a team is a big thing, whether you're a first-year player or a 20-year vet. And I had a lot of great conversations with a lot of teams. Not one of those was the Jets because that wasn't a great conversation. ... I had some good conversations, but I've been up-front with all of them."

Rodgers, commenting for the first time on his release from the Jets, took shots at the organization -- new coach Aaron Glenn, in particular. Rodgers said he felt disrespected in what he described as a brief, contentious meeting on Feb. 6, when he flew via private jet from California to New Jersey to meet with Glenn and new general manager Darren Mougey to discuss his future.

"I felt like there wasn't an ample amount of respect in that meeting, but I guess I shouldn't have been surprised based on some of the things I saw over the two years," Rodgers said.

Rodgers said he was fired less than one minute into the meeting, adding that Glenn went "a little rogue" and expressed concern that his authority would be undermined by Rodgers.

"I figured that when I flew across country on my own dime that there was going to be a conversation," Rodgers said. "And the confusing thing to me -- and the strange thing -- was when I went out there, I meet with the coach, we start talking, he runs out of the room. I'm like, 'That's kind of strange.'

"Then he comes back with the GM and I'm like, 'All right.' So, we sit down in the office, and I think we're going to have this long conversation. I've flown across the country and, 20 seconds in, he goes ... 'So, do you want to play football?' And I was like, 'Yeah, I'm interested.' And he said, 'We're going in a different direction at quarterback.'

"I was kind of shocked. Now I'm not shocked because I didn't think that was a possibility. Listen, of course, if they want to move on, that's totally fine, but shocked because I just flew across country. You could have told me this on the phone if we weren't even going to have a conversation."

Glenn asked how the quarterback wanted the information released to the media -- "the messaging," Rodgers said. "And I said, verbatim, 'I don't give a s--- about the messaging.'"

Rodgers then took another jab at Glenn. Asked to explain the decision to release him, Rodgers quoted Glenn as saying, "I don't want to be up in front of the room saying something and have guys looking back at you" -- meaning, Rodgers would be a distraction.

Rodgers took umbrage.

"I said, 'What does that even mean? Are you assuming that I would be in the back of the room during a team meeting, undermining what you're saying?' I said, 'You don't know me.' And he said, 'You don't know me.' And then I said, 'Exactly, which is why I flew across the country to have a face-to-face meeting with you to talk about my experience with the Jets and to hear your vision for the team.'"

Rodgers said he walked out after 15 minutes. He said he never pleaded for his job, as one media report suggested.

"No, hell no. I don't want any part of that," he said. "It was already a debacle in some cases. Listen, that whole situation was crazy."

Meanwhile, Rodgers said he is prepared to change to a newer version of the Schutt brand helmet if he decides to play in 2025. Last week, the NFL and NFL Players Association banned his previous helmet, the Schutt Air XP Pro Q11 LTD, as part of its annual helmet evaluations. He has changed helmets multiple times since the league and union began banning helmets in 2018.

"I don't know the inner workings of Schutt," Rodgers said, "but if I were to play, I'm going to wear Schutt if they're still going. If they've still got a good helmet that passes some sort of test, that's what I'm going to wear."

ESPN's Kevin Seifert contributed to this report.