Aaron Rodgers completes four-day darkness retreat as future remains uncertain

23 February 2023 , 19:01

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Aaron Rodgers has now completed his darkness retreat (Image: Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

Green Bay Packers star Aaron Rodgers has now completed his four-day darkness retreat, after spending time at a facility in southern Oregon.

Rodgers wasn't joking when announcing he would be spending days in darkness, as owner of the facility Scott Berman confirmed that the quarterback had scheduled four days and four nights in darkness isolation. Berman said on Wednesday that Rodgers has now left the facility, and only the NFL will know where his head is at now.

The 39-year-old was hoping to "have a better sense of where I'm at in my life" after the retreat, and claimed that it wasn't just to figure out his immediate NFL future. Rodgers is contracted with the Packers until the end of the 2024 season, but could trade or even retire before then.

Rodgers is known for his unconventional off-season ventures, as he travelled to Peru in 2020 to try ayahuasca and reflect on his career. The quarterback is known for being a fan of all kinds of retreats, but his latest stunt saw him live in a tiny structure, with part of his habitat underground.

The place Rodgers was isolated in had just 300 square feet of space, devoid of light, with a queen bed, a bathroom and a meditation-like mat on the floor, according to Berman. Although Rodgers was there for darkness it still is fully powered, so at any point he could have switched the lights on if needed.

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Rodgers is under contract with the Packers after signing a huge three-year extension last year. The quarterback would be entitled to £59million if he was to play at Lambeau Field for the 2023 season, a decision that may not require much thought for many, let alone four days and nights in darkness.

Aaron Rodgers stayed in a small retreat in southern Oregon (Twitter@https://www.skycaveretreats.com/)

The 39-year-old has spent his entire career with the Packers since being drafted in 2005, winning the Super Bowl once, and being crowned MVP four times along the way. Rodgers has sent mixed messages since the end of the season, claiming that he'd like to win another MVP, but also didn't rule out retirement.

Rodgers has also teased fans that it "could be time to step away" from the franchise, and he's been met with calls from opposition fans to trade. The Packers aren't panicking just yet, but it's not the ideal scenario either.

Packers president Mark Murphy said this month that there was to be no deadline for Rodgers to make his decision. However, he had hoped for a response before the start of free agency.

Joseph McBride