It’s not the game itself that is exhausting, but the preparation for it.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers returns to the team after signing a new contract, but that doesn’t mean the 38-year-old quarterback has forgotten about the prospect of hanging up his cleats. The future Hall of Fame member admits the thought hasn’t left him.

“I think about ending my career all the time. And I agree with Tom Brady that you always keep that 55% to 45% in mind (in terms of wanting to play). But when you decide to play a season, you plunge 100% into it,” Rodgers opined.

Rodgers compared his situation to that of Tom Brady, 45, who ended his career this offseason and then resumed it.

“As you get older, your interests change, and plowing through practice starts to affect you more. As for the game of soccer itself, that’s the easy part, it’s the fun part. It’s not the game itself that wears you out and makes you think about life after soccer. Tommy has certainly set the bar high in terms of athletic longevity, but I can definitely see when it’s all over,” Rogers added.

Throughout the previous season, there were rumors that Rodgers’ time in Green Bay might be coming to an end, especially after the club traded up in the 2020 draft for quarterback Jordan Love. But since then, Rodgers has played in virtually every game and won the MVP title two years in a row. After that, he renewed his contract.

That doesn’t mean the question of ending his career is off the table, but Rodgers will hunt for a second Lombardi Trophy first.