Aaron Rodgers has been keeping NFL teams in the dark as he contemplates whether he wants to play during the 2023 season or retire from the sport.
Now, it appears that he is going to be keeping himself in the dark for at least a few days.
In a recent appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, Rodgers was asked exactly when he might have a decision about his future with the Packers. The 39-year-old told McAfee that he was legitimately debating whether or not to return and that he wanted to wait at least until after his upcoming isolation retreat to make a decision about playing.
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Naturally, this begged a question from McAfee and his co-hosts.
What on earth is an "isolation retreat?"
"I'm still in the art of contemplation about my future.. after my isolation retreat I'll be ready to make a decision" ~ @AaronRodgers12#PMSinAZ pic.twitter.com/21uLlRDlQr
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) February 7, 2023
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Aaron Rodgers' darkness retreat, explained
In typical Rodgers fashion, the veteran quarterback was willing to walk McAfee through exactly what the experience entails.
"It's a darkness retreat," Rodgers explained. "I've had a number of friends who've done it and had some profound experiences and it's something that's been on my radar for a few years now. I felt like it'd be awesome to do regardless of where I was leaning after this season. So, it's been on the calendar for months and months and months, and it's coming up in a couple of weeks."
Rodgers also said that the retreat would last four days and four nights and that he would be in darkness throughout it, per ESPN's Rob Demovsky.
"It’s really sensory deprivation isolation," Rodgers said. He also detailed that the experience can stimulate DMT — a naturally occurring, psychotropic drug — and cause hallucinations.
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Some other details about the retreat that Rodgers provided include:
- That he will be alone in a room as this happens.
- He will be provided with food from those running the retreat. It will arrive via a two-way slot.
- The experience will involve "a lot of sleeping."
- He will be sober during the event.
McAfee questioned whether Rodgers had an "audible" prepared in case things didn't go as planned during the retreat. The veteran quarterback downplayed that possibility.
"If it's too much, then I'll just walk out," he said. "The door is unlocked. If you wanna leave, you leave."
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That line may be about Rodgers' retreat, but it also applies to the impending decision about his NFL career. One would presume he will be thinking about that often during his four days of darkness — unless he makes a decision about his future before then.
If Rodgers remains undecided at that point, the Packers will certainly start getting antsy for him to make up his mind. They need to know which direction to go in this offseason, be it retooling for a final Super Bowl run with Rodgers or trying to build a contender around Jordan Love.
