EXCLUSIVE
‘He cares’ – Aaron Rodgers defended by teammates as NFL’s most controversial quarterback makes career-changing decision
It is a recurring theme with one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history.
The players who actually shared a field and locker room with Aaron Rodgers don't just back him -- they go out of their way to praise him.
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"I just feel like he does it the right way," New York Jets running back Isaiah Davis exclusively told talkSPORT.
"He's 20-plus years in the league and he's one of the hardest workers in the weight room.
"You take from him the work ethic. And no matter what you've done in your career -- in NFL or in life -- you know hard work is going to pay off."
Rodgers entered Wednesday appearing to still be stuck between landing spots.
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He was rumored to be a candidate for the Las Vegas Raiders heading into a free agency, and was backed by star defender Maxx Crosby.
The Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants are reportedly in the lead for Rodgers' 2025 services, but the Minnesota Vikings are a dark horse candidate.
"By all means, sign with them (the Vikings)," Hall of Fame QB Brett Favre, who played for Green Bay and Minnesota, said on the Will Cain Show.
"They got a really good football team. They're loaded at pretty much every position. They made it to the playoffs last year.
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"They got a tremendous fan base, much like the Packers. If you get the opportunity, that's a good place to win. Of course, you gotta play the Packers then."
Thanks to his outspoken political and medical beliefs, Rodgers has become the most controversial QB in the NFL.
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“Man, he’s one person,” Jets linebacker Quincy Williams exclusively told talkSPORT. “He ain’t got time to be trying to correct everybody or none of that.
“But anybody who asked me, great guy.”
He's also a 41-year-old who could be entering his final pro season.
But Rodgers has four NFL MVPs, a Super Bowl ring, 62,952 career passing yards and 503 touchdowns.
A healthy and fully motivated Rodgers in 2025 could give a playoff contender a big upgrade at QB, which has NFL fans believing that the Steelers make the most sense.
Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Wednesday that "an offer has been made" by the Steelers to Rodgers, and the 10-time Pro Bowler is "taking his good ol' time about making a decision."
On Thursday, The Athletic reported that Rodgers was 'intrigued' by making a Favre-like leap to the Vikings.
"Aaron's the type of guy that has a certain level of confidence -- almost arrogance -- to him," former NFL linebacker Jason Cabinda said on NFL Network.
"I highly doubt he's going to want to end his career on the note that he's ended it on. ... I see him going to Pittsburgh and really maybe having, not his best year, but a year in which we can be optimistic about this team."
Williams, who spent the 2023-24 seasons with Rodgers, thanked the veteran QB for pushing him to expand his offseason portfolio.
"He actually encouraged me to start doing this type of stuff,” Williams said last week in London.
Davis predicted that whichever team signs Rodgers will "see the person who who he is."
NFL star Quincy Williams reveals he wants to be the leader to inspire the New York Jets after Aaron Rodgers exit
Meanwhile, Williams reflected on an all-time great who went out of his way to help the young linebacker, on and off the field.
"A Hall of Fame quarterback is asking me my perspective on football," Williams said.
"Like, man, you done played against a lot of good linebackers. Why you asking my perspective?
"He cares about football. He cares about winning. That's the crazy thing -- he cares about football.
"He cares about how the people in his locker room feel about him, that's the main thing. So all the conversations outside, he not really worried about.
"It's about the guys in the locker room that he played with, next to, that trust him when the ball gets in his hand."
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