GREEN BAY, Wis. — Aaron Rodgers said Thursday that he is not sure the Green Bay Packers would invite him back to Lambeau Field after he retires, or that he would accept an invitation if one came.
The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback made the comments on ESPN Milwaukee/Madison radio’s “Wilde and Tausch.” ESPN’s Rob Demovsky reported the appearance. A month earlier, Rodgers told Packers reporters there would first have to be an invitation for him to return to Lambeau in a nonplaying role. He placed that return four or five years out.
“I think there’s some people that have a lot of affection for me,” Rodgers said, “and I would assume we’re talking four or five years from now that there will be fans who still have appreciation for what I’ve done, especially after so much time has passed. I think there’s certain people in the building who wouldn’t be totally on board, and maybe I wouldn’t be on board if they were still there as well.”
Rodgers did not mention any names. Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst, who made the decision to trade Rodgers to the New York Jets in 2023, remains with the team. So does Packers coach Matt LaFleur.
In May, Rodgers, 42, re-signed with Pittsburgh on a one-year contract worth up to $25 million. He has said the 2026 season will be his last. Steelers coach Mike McCarthy was his head coach for 13 seasons in Green Bay.
Aaron Rodgers On Brian Gutekunst And The 2023 Trade To The New York Jets
Rodgers skipped the entire 2021 offseason program. When he reported to training camp that summer, he laid out a list of complaints about the organization that included criticism of Gutekunst and a desire to be more involved in decisions that affected him.
He won his fourth MVP award that season. Green Bay went 8-9 in 2022 and missed the playoffs. The trade to New York came the following April.
Gutekunst said at the time that he was never able to reach Rodgers to discuss his thoughts. At his introductory news conference with the Jets, Rodgers said Gutekunst should have known about the poor cell service at his California home and should have used FaceTime to reach him.
Green Bay drafted Jordan Love in the first round, 26th overall, in 2020 while Rodgers was still the starter. Love took over the job after the trade. Rodgers said the way the split was handled probably made things a little easier on Love.
“There’s definitely some things I could’ve done to make those guys a little more comfortable I guess,” Rodgers explained, “but the GM wanted me out of there, so it was only a matter of time. They were just looking for one non-MVP season and that was going to be that. Didn’t understand it. Didn’t necessarily agree with it. I just didn’t like the way it was handled, and obviously I could have probably handled it better. But on the flip side, it probably made it a little easier on Jordan [Love].”
“I loved my time there,” Rodgers continued. “And I didn’t let the ending skew any of the good times that we had and how much I enjoyed playing there and playing at Lambeau and being around so many great people over the years.”
Gutekunst has not expressed any public animosity toward Rodgers. On “The Rich Eisen Show” in 2025, Gutekunst said he roots for Rodgers and that “there’s so much appreciation for him from our organization and from myself.”
Brett Favre’s No. 4 And Aaron Rodgers’ No. 12 At Lambeau Field
Former Packers president Mark Murphy said on multiple occasions that the team would retire Rodgers’ No. 12 “at the appropriate time.” Murphy retired in 2025. His replacement, Ed Policy, was the team’s chief operating officer and general counsel at the time.
In 2015, the Packers retired Brett Favre’s No. 4 and inducted him into the Packers Hall of Fame. That was four years after Favre retired and one year before he went into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Favre’s time in Green Bay ended in a trade to the Jets in 2008.
Rodgers threw for 59,055 yards, 475 touchdowns, and 105 interceptions in 18 seasons with Green Bay. He was named MVP in 2011, 2014, 2020, and 2021. He was also the MVP of Super Bowl XLV against Pittsburgh. Players must be retired for at least five seasons to become eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
On a Zoom call with Packers reporters the day before the teams’ Aug. 13 preseason game in Pittsburgh, Rodgers said he had planned on dinner at Chives and a quick nine holes at Green Bay Country Club if the game had been in Green Bay. Pittsburgh does not play at Lambeau Field this season.
“It would have been strange, being in that [visitors] locker room and stuff,” Rodgers said, “but I would have found my way over, like many former players have over the years … and see some of the guys and see some of the trainers and equipment staff and all the people I really care about that still work there. Yeah, I was definitely bummed out that we weren’t in Lambeau for this one.”
The Jets did not play Green Bay in either of Rodgers’ two seasons in New York. The Packers beat the Steelers 35-25 at Acrisure Stadium last season.
Pittsburgh hosts the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday at Acrisure Stadium. Kickoff is at noon CT on Fox. Green Bay opens at the Minnesota Vikings later that afternoon, with kickoff at U.S. Bank Stadium set for 3:25 p.m. CT on CBS.
