Aaron Rodgers isn’t desperate for attention, he just wants to make sure everyone has reasons to keep talking about him.
After three months of media silence, Rodgers decided one week before the NFL Draft was the perfect time to step out and confirm he hasn’t made a decision on his playing future. Rodgers joined The Pat McAfee Show Thursday afternoon on ESPN and admitted retirement remains a possibility, but he hasn’t ruled out playing either.
Rodgers made no declarations about his future, he didn’t tell us anything we didn’t already know, but the polarizing quarterback said just enough to recycle his name in headlines as the NFL Draft rapidly approaches. Some might call that attention-seeking. Rodgers, however, in detailing his visit with the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason to McAfee, seemed confused by those accusations.
“Obviously I went out to Pittsburgh and tried to do that as quietly as possible,” Rodgers said. “You know, a lot of people think that I’m desperate for attention even though I haven’t talked to you or anybody else in three months.”
Rodgers is so not desperate for attention that he sought to trick the media by flying into a different airport and driving a Chevy Malibu to the Steelers facility, just to avoid being photographed in Pittsburgh. There you have it, cold hard proof that Rodgers doesn’t seek attention. Because obviously, an attention-seeking quarterback wouldn’t go through those lengths to play games with the media.
Taking more than three months to decide on your playing future can certainly be seen as attention-seeking. But the 41-year-old quarterback says he hasn’t decided on his future because he’s helping people through some personal issues. Okay, let’s give him the benefit of the doubt there.
What about the constant media battles and calling out NFL insiders, even when those same insiders tend to be proven right. Is that Rodgers trying to avoid attention? What about continuing to join The Pat McAfee Show every Tuesday after tearing his Achilles to repeatedly tease the bogus idea that he can be a medical anomaly by returning to play in record time? Was that just Rodgers wanting to keep a low profile? What about the Netflix documentary? Being the last person desperately trying to turn every conversation into a discussion about COVID-19? Or listening to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about potentially being his vice-presidential running mate a year ago? None of that was for attention, right?
Even when Rodgers thinks he’s not seeking attention, he still seems to be seeking attention. Rodgers didn’t need to treat a meeting with the Steelers like it was some sort of stealth mission. It didn’t work, the media found out about the meeting anyway, and yet Rodgers is still boasting about renting a Chevy Malibu like it was some sort of victory in the name of avoiding attention.
There’s nothing wrong with being an attention seeker. Credit Rodgers for being really good at creating headlines and finding attention. But stop pretending like you live this life of anonymity, and just own it.