Booger McFarland pleads with Aaron Rodgers to retire

Aaron Rodgers is 41 years old and enters arguably the most pivotal offseason of his two-decade NFL career.
While still technically a member of the New York Jets roster, the organization publicly announced their intentions to move on from Rodgers last week after two difficult seasons in the Big Apple.
Now, after 18 years in Green Bay and two years in New York, the four-time MVP quarterback is contemplating his next move in the NFL. And while Rodgers will certainly garner interest on the free agent market, especially from a team seeking a short-term veteran stop-gap at quarterback, at least one ESPN analyst hopes the future Hall of Famer decides to call it a career.
“I think it’s time to retire, man,” ESPN’s Booger McFarland said Wednesday afternoon on SportsCenter. “If you think about Aaron Rodgers, you have to understand what’s going on with him. When he came back from the Achilles, he couldn’t move anymore. And I get it, he’s a four-time MVP and first-ballot Hall of Famer.
“But when you’re a quarterback and movement is a part of your game, and you can’t move anymore, I think it’s time for Aaron Rodgers to go ahead and retire.”
ESPN analyst names Steelers, Raiders, Browns and Titans as potential suitors for Aaron Rodgers
ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler joined SportsCenter on Feb. 14 and highlighted the Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Las Vegas Raiders and Tennessee Titans as potential suitors for Rodgers.
“Aaron Rodgers is a free agent for the first time in his career, and he’s now a bridge quarterback,” Fowler said. “He used to be a savior. Now, he’s a one to two year option for some teams. I’m going to kick around the Cleveland Browns to start, because I go back to what sources have told me, that any quarterback veteran with starter experience, they are going to evaluate. So, that goes for Kirk Cousins, Rodgers, Daniel Jones and the like. They are in prime position to draft a quarterback, certainly very high, but they’re going to look at options, and they need somebody who’s fiscally cheap right now, and Rodgers would be that, really for the first time in his career, because of his age. Mobility is a factor in that offense. We’ll see what they could do.
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“You know, Pittsburgh — he’s sort of a betting favorite to go there, but I don’t know if I buy that just yet. But the Steelers don’t have a quarterback on the roster right now. They’re not in a position to shut anybody out. Las Vegas Raiders too. The expectation is they’ll look at the free agency market, and a potential draft quarterback.”
All told, the Browns would certainly be interesting. While they have Deshaun Watson, he’s going to miss most, if not all, of the 2025 season. Then, there’s the possibility that they could draft a quarterback with the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL Draft. Regardless, Fowler believes they’ll add a veteran, and Rodgers could give them a spark.
The Titans are in a similar boat, possessing the No. 1 pick but needing a veteran signal-caller to help a potential quarterback acclimate to the league. Rodgers is fond of the Nashville area, and it could be a great place for him to end his career, even if there might not be much winning done next season or beyond.
Finally, the Steelers and Raiders are the two more intriguing options. Rodgers has a ton of respect for Mike Tomlin and Pete Carroll, and the veteran coaches need an experienced quarterback heading into next season. Rodgers fits the bill, and there’s a chance for success with either legendary franchise.
On3’s Steve Samra contributed to this report.