Aaron Rodgers Gives One Last Goodbye To Green Bay With Long Instagram Post
It's been a long time coming, but Aaron Rodgers is finally out of Green Bay.
After 18 seasons with the Packers, Rodgers is leaving for the Big Apple and handing out his final goodbyes after a Hall of Fame career in Lambeau.
Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers looks on before the game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on January 09, 2022 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
Reeling from the blockbuster trade, Rodgers delivered a lengthy farewell to the Packers organization in an Instagram post Tuesday afternoon.
Aaron Rodgers Writes (Positive) Goodbye Letter To Packers
The caption read:
I’m not sure it’s possible to fully express the gratitude that I have to the Packers, our incredible fans, the state of Wisconsin, the thousands of players that I crossed paths with, the incredible men and women who work for the organization, and the amazing people who I got to meet along the way, in one post with 10 pictures, but I hope you read this and feel my heart and soul, filled with love, joy, and peace about my time in green and gold.
I grew up in Green Bay, drafted at 21, fell in love with the game, met some lifelong friends, and take with me memories that will last a lifetime.
I’m grateful to the late Ted Thompson for drafting me, for my head coaches, especially the 13 years with Mike McCarthy, and the last 4 with Matt LaFleur. I had some incredible men to work with in the QB room over the years including Tom, AVP, Luke, and Connor.
Huge thank you to my guys in the equipment room, Red, TBone, Odea, Kev, Bryan, Andy Grouber, All my dear friends in the training room over the years, Nate, Flea, Doc McKenzie, Doc Gray, Pepp, and Cuz. The legendary Adam Korzun and his incredible staff; Dougie, Crabby, and Scotty, for always looking out for me; Tom, Nate, Sarah, and Jason in PR, Evan for bringing my work life to film, The Rock and Wayne, for giving words to the highlights of my career, Grey, and Big Rob for your work with our guys over the years, Bloke, Thad, Grant and Gizz in the weight room, Bob Harlan, Russ Ball, Mark Murphy and Brian Gutekunst for your stewardship of the organization, every one on the 3rd and 4th floors who make that building run smoothly, and so many countless others at the loading dock, tours, concessions, maintenance, our field crew, etc.
To the fans, THANK YOU, you made every run out of the tunnel special, every home game magical, and it was my honor to be your QB.
To my teammates, I love you all, and am thankful for the moments on and off the field that brought us close. I played with legends, I played with friends; thanks for believing in me and having my back always ❤️
This is not the end for us, I will see you again Green Bay, you’ll always have my heart.
Reactions To Aaron Rodgers' Trade All Over The Place
The long-awaited trade came to fruition on Monday, days before the NFL Draft. As reported by OutKick's Armando Salguero, New York's trade package included: the no. 13 pick in this year's draft, a 2023 second-round pick (No. 42), a 2023 sixth-round pick (No. 207) and a conditional 2024 second-round pick that could turn into a first-rounder if Rodgers plays 65 percent of the snaps or more.
The Packers sent Rodgers, pick no. 15 (2023) and a 2023 fifth-round pick (No. 170).
Rodgers' longtime left tackle David Bakhtiari responded to his QB's post with a heartfelt post.
Bakhtiari's caption read, in part:
"Well. I hate goodbyes, and this one especially. The chapter is over on this one, but this friendship is a lifetime. You’ve been so instrumental in my life and I just wanna say thank you. And I love you brother."
Green Bay fans' response to Rodgers' departure, 24 hours after the trade, have been mixed. While some fans were glad to see the unpredictable Rodgers gone, others recognized that QBs with Rodgers' skillset don't grow on trees.
Jets fans are generally taking the move well. After flopping with second-overall-pick Zach Wilson, the little-brother New York team finally gets an elite play-caller under center with the 39-year-old Rodgers.
The four-time NFL MVP played in 22 postseason games (12-10) and won a Super Bowl in 2011.