Lions rookie wide receiver Jameson Williams’s jersey swap request of Aaron Rodgers was spurned by the Packers quarterback on Sunday night after Detroit eliminated Green Bay with a 20–16 victory at Lambeau Field.
When asked why he did not exchange jerseys with Williams after the game, Rodgers dodged the questions amid an uncertain future for Green Bay’s longtime franchise quarterback.
“I think I might’ve told him I’d give him a jersey when we played in Detroit, so I’ll have to send him a jersey. But there’s some special ones that I like to keep,” Rodgers told reporters after the game. “So it was nothing against Jameson. I’ll make sure I send him one, but yeah I kinda want to keep this one.”
Rodgers then answered a question about what was so special about this particular jersey.
“It’s a night game, Lambeau, Week 18. There’s just certain jerseys you like holding onto,” Rodgers said. “Like when we’re playing Chicago or big Sunday night games … just a little different I guess. It’s not keeping it. It’s a cool one to give to someone you really care about.”
Rodgers’s coy answer about the significance of the jersey from Sunday night likely will only accelerate rumors surrounding his future in Green Bay.
After signing a $150 million contract extension last offseason, Rodgers is expected to earn $58.3 million if he plays in 2023. Even so, he remained noncommittal about playing next season.
“I mean, it’s a little raw right now, just a little bit after the game,” Rodgers said. “Want to take the emotion out of it and have conversations and see where the organization is at and see how I feel after some time has passed.”
Regardless of how Rodgers feels right now, there’s no doubt that the Packers have some re-evaluating to do across the board heading into the offseason.
