Eli Manning Weighs In On Aaron Rodgers’ Unsettled Future In The NFL

Rumors are swirling that Aaron Rodgers will not be returning as the quarterback of the Green Bay Packers after the team’s 13-10 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the playoffs. Now, NFL legend Eli Manning is weighing in on the situation by publicly giving Rodgers some advice. 

Manning Sounds Off About Rodgers

“It was important for me to finish my career with the Giants,” Manning, who was with the New York Giants for his entire 16-year football career, told ESPN. “I would think it would be important for [Rodgers] as well, just because of the legacy that he has, the history of Green Bay, being there as long as he has been, winning a championship and winning MVPs.”

Aaron Rodgers has been with the Packers since 2005, and he led the team to a Super Bowl win in the 2010-2011 season.

Rodgers said earlier this week that he will make his decision about whether or not he’ll return this season by the end of February or beginning of March, saying that he will “have conversations” with the Packers in the coming weeks. Leaving for another team, however, may not be the best idea, according to Manning.

Related: Aaron Rodgers Fires Off Brilliant Response After Being Called ‘Biggest Jerk’ In The NFL

‘It’s Not Always Greener On The Other Side’ 

“It’s not always greener on the other side,” Manning warned. “That’s what I had learned from talking to other people. You can go somewhere, and it’s not necessarily going to be better. It’s probably going to be worse.”

“If Aaron leaves, it’s probably going to be his own call. It’s going to be his decision, saying, ‘I want out of here,’” Manning said, going on to recall “last year,” when Rodgers had a summer holdout over communications and frustrations with the current culture. 

“I think it’s strange to want to leave someplace where you’ve been your whole life and to leave for the last two years or whatever it may be of your playing career,” Manning said.

“Obviously, Tom [Brady] did it and he had success, but you want to make sure it’s the right spot. You can go somewhere and not be any good. I think with Tom, he had the chance to look around. And Peyton [Manning], they had free rein as free agents to decide, ‘This is the spot to go, this is a good team with a good defense and good receivers.’”

Related: Aaron Rodgers Reveals The Reason He Believes Fans Rooted Against Green Bay Packers

‘If It’s A Trade, It’s A Little Bit Different’

“If it’s a trade, it’s a little bit different,” Manning concluded. “A trade, you would not think would end real good for him. They’re not sending him to an NFC team, so that eliminates half the league.”

Rodgers has become a controversial figure in the eyes of some because of his vaccination status, saying that he has been “immunized.” It will certainly be interesting to see what he decides to do when it comes to his career with the Packers.