Aaron Rodgers would welcome return to Packers, but for now: 'I am taking time with my decision'

Aaron Rodgers would welcome a return to the Green Bay Packers. He would also embrace an opportunity with a new team.

Rodgers was open to all of those scenarios in his weekly appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday. But those are decisions the quarterback plans to make on another day, insisting he is still decompressing from the grind of this season.

“I’d love to finish there. I would. And I might have finished there, who knows?” Rodgers said of his 18 years with the Packers organization.

“When I talk about my future, I don’t talk in cryptic terms. I’m pretty direct about how I feel. I am taking time with my decision. And I’m not egomaniacal thinking I should be able to play wherever I want as long as I want.”

Rodgers said among the items he will consider include whether he wants to play and go through the grind of another NFL season, and what the Packers roster would look like if he returned.

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“You want to win a championship. You want to be part of a team that can win a championship,” Rodgers said. “You want to win, and every team says they want to win. But it’s the type of team you put together.”

Reaction to Rob Gronkowski's criticism

Rodgers added he was not offended by the criticism of former NFL tight end Rob Gronkowski when he said Rodgers should think about winning championships instead of Most Valuable Player awards. Rodgers said last week that in the "right situation" he could win his fifth MVP award.

“Everybody wants to win MVP. Everybody who plays the game wants to be MVP. Like, yeah, you want to win a championship – 100 percent. You want to go down in history on a championship football team. But everybody wants to win MVP, too. Any sport,” said Rodgers.

“You want to be recognized as the best of the best. Anybody that says that they don’t is lying or non-competitive. … And then if you don’t win it, you always say the right thing: ‘Oh, it’s more important to win championships.’”

“You can rest on championships you won, but you always want to be the best,” he added.

'Change is part of this business'

Rodgers also acknowledged the nearly $60 million he's guaranteed next season with the Packers is a figure that will likely be adjusted.

“It’s a lot of money,” Rodgers said. “I don’t think there’s a scenario where I come back and that would be the number. Things would have to shift."

Rodgers said he’s never thought about playing for another team in his career because he’s never been a free agent.

But he understands playing for another team could be a possibility if the Packers want to proceed with Jordan Love, their first-round pick from 2020, at quarterback.

“Anytime there’s a situation where change is possible, what’s the old adage people want to say? The grass isn’t always greener on the other side. And I always say the grass is better where you water it, and I think that’s the most important thing to remember,” Rodgers said.

“Change is a part of this business, and it’s part of life. And I think being open to it and embracing whatever that change looks like is an important part of coming to peace of whatever decision lies ahead of you.”

Rodgers finished the 2022 season with 26 touchdowns and 12 interceptions on 3,695 yards passing. The Packers were 8-9 and missed the playoffs.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Aaron Rodgers talks future: Packers or another team next? New deal?