Aaron Rodgers elaborated on his love for Chicago sports teams and sports fans. But when asked if he would ever play there, he gave a succinct response.
Aaron Rodgers may love Chicago, but he is definitely not going to ever play there.
Ahead of their Week 6 game against the Chicago Bears, Rodgers took time to elaborate on his feelings toward Chi-Town. Rodgers spent over a minute describing his childhood as a Chicago Bulls and Chicago Cubs fan. While he’s always loved the city, those feelings are apparently one-sided.
“I mean, I don’t think they’re extremely happy with me,” Rodgers said bluntly. “They’re not very cordial most of the time, but I respect that. I respect that it’s a great sports town. They’ve got two baseball teams, the basketball team that I grew up cheering for.”
“I’ve always enjoyed the city,” Rodgers continued. “Enjoyed the fans, even though they haven’t really enjoyed me. That’s fine, I get it. Maybe there’ll be a little more love when my time comes to an end playing here.”
It sounds like Rodgers could have been teasing an eventual move to Chicago, which is why it was the immediate follow-up question in the press conference. Rodgers shot that idea down immediately.
“No, no,” Rodgers said with a smirk. When pressed as to why, he replied, “It’s just not gonna happen, man.”
Green Bay legend Aaron Rodgers gives a definitive answer on becoming a Bears quarterback
Although he elaborated on all of his other feelings about Chicago, understanding why becoming a Bears quarterback is something that would never happen for him could be interpreted a few different ways.
First, Rodgers may like the city and its people, but it doesn’t mean he likes how the Bears organization has been run. Compared to Green Bay, the team has faced instability in recent decades, especially under the pressure to make Mitch Trubisky a viable quarterback. Career-wise, it’s likely not the best setup for Rodgers to transfer into, unlike the prime Tampa Bay offense Tom Brady took over after leaving New England. If Rodgers leaves Green Bay, it’s going to be for a team that is almost all the way build and just needs that franchise quarterback.
The other way to look at this is that the Bears have already bet on their future with 22-year-old Justin Fields. While Fields would have had an incredible opportunity to study under Rodgers as a rookie, those conversations become more difficult if Rodgers were to move there in a few years. Fields is talented, but Aaron Rodgers is… well, Aaron Rodgers. The organization would have a difficult time if there was a battle for the quarterback position after Fields has been given the reins.
And then there’s the third option: Rodgers would never move to Chicago because Bears fans would never accept him. It would be funny if Rodgers moved to Chicago after all just to force Bears fans to embrace him as their quarterback.
