Aaron Rodgers is the oldest active player in the league right now. Entering what could be his final season, the veteran quarterback has given more than two decades to the game. When you’ve spent a major part of your life on the field with thousands of fans cheering you on, it’s only natural that walking away leaves a huge void. But for Rodgers, it’s a completely different story.
“When it becomes your total identity, I think that’s what when guys have problems outside of it, because now it’s like, well, what do I do? If I’m not playing anymore, no one cares,” Rodgers said on the Not Just Football with Cam Heyward Show. “If I’m not playing, they’re not talking about me. If they’re not talking about me, my life doesn’t matter.
“I think that’s where you see this stat that I remember…they said three-quarters of the guys within three years are divorced, broke, or unemployed. I think a lot of that goes to like, you’re living this life, you’re somebody, maybe in your own mind and you’re competing and you’re talked about and you’re in the pros then you’re out. It’s like, what do I do? Who am I? I think that’s where, if you tie it too much to your identity when it gets taken away.”
For many NFL stars, the journey to the league begins with their collegiate career around the age of 20. In college, players technically pursue degrees, but the reality of high-level college football mirrors a full-time corporate job.
Between mandatory practices, film study, weight training, media obligations, travel, and games, players routinely dedicate over 40 hours a week to football. So, just to survive that process and make an NFL roster, they must prioritize football above all else.
However, an average NFL career ranges from just three to four years, and even if a player goes beyond that, their peak earning years end quickly. In fact, according to a paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research, 15.7% of NFL players file for bankruptcy within 12 years of retirement.
So, for stars to keep earning after the show is over, having income sources outside of the league is essential to maintain that lifestyle. And that’s exactly what Rodgers is talking about.
According to former NFL quarterback Trent Green, the drive or the motivation towards an activity completely vanishes.
“The hardest part is your daily routine,” Green said in 2012. “For 15 years, I knew exactly what I was doing in March, June, and September because there was a schedule. When you take that away, you suddenly have a lot more time on your hands. I’ve been out of the game since 2008, and I still have a tough time with it. I find myself thinking, ‘What’s my motivation today?'”
But Aaron Rodgers, who boasts roughly $394.8 million in career earnings and an estimated net worth of $250 million, is prepared for his life after retirement. As a result, he already has his backup plans ready.
“For me as a young player, I was always working on like what the next transition would be and job shadowing, you know, people in my life and learning skills and learning about finance and learning about real estate and learning about business and so that if a transition came and I needed to get into something that I could do that now, you know, with the financial blessings I’ve had of playing 22 years, obviously I don’t need to do anything,” Rodgers added.
However, Aaron Rodgers didn’t exactly reveal what his plans after his retirement are. But becoming a media personality is at least one such aspect that he isn’t looking forward to, as supporting his wife when she is pregnant and his family remains his top priority post-playing career.
“I’m hopefully going to be supporting my pregnant wife because we’re going to start a family and I am not going to be making a lot of appearances or statements,” Rodgers told SiriusXM’s Mad Dog Sports Radio. “And I’m looking forward to a life of quiet after 22 years in the pros and three in college and getting my body healed up and working on a family. That’s what I’m looking forward to.”