Aaron Rodgers has bid Green Bay farewell. A day after the news came down that the Packers and Jets agreed to terms to send the four-time NFL MVP to New York and put an end to his near-two-decade run with Green Bay, he took to social media to say his goodbyes to the only NFL franchise he's known until now.
Rodgers issued a lengthy goodbye post on his Instagram page that featured various pictures from throughout his tenure, including being drafted by the club back in 2005, hoisting the Lombardi Trophy after Green Bay's win in Super Bowl XLV, and a wide array of pictures with some of his former teammates.
"I'm not sure it's possible to fully express the gratitude that I have to the [Packers], our incredible fans, the state of Wisconsin, the thousands of players that I crossed paths with, the incredible men and women who work for the organization, and the amazing people who I got to meet along the way, in one post with 10 pictures, but I hope you read this and feel my heart and soul, filled with love, joy, and peace about my time in green and gold," Rodgers wrote."I grew up in Green Bay, drafted at 21, fell in love with the game, met some lifelong friends, and take with me memories that will last a lifetime."
Rodgers went on to thank numerous figures from his tenure including the late Ted Thompson -- who drafted him in 2005 -- along with head coaches Mike McCarthy and Matt LaFleur. He then turned his attention to the fans, who he noted " made every run out of the tunnel special, every home game magical, and it was my honor to be your QB."
He concluded by saying, "This is not the end for us, I will see you again Green Bay, you'll always have my heart."
Rodgers is one of, if not the greatest players in Packers history. He is the franchise's all-time leading touchdown passer (475), and second behind Hall of Famer Brett Favre on the club's all-time passing yards list (59,055). Rodgers went 147-75-1 over his tenure, which was the second most wins by a quarterback in the team's history. He also was 12-10 in the playoffs, which included that Super Bowl title during the 2010 season.
Now, he'll be taking his talents to New York where he'll look to bring the Jets into the Super Bowl conversation in 2023. That journey will begin on Wednesday when he is officially introduced during a news conference at 2 p.m. ET.
