Watch: Aaron Rodgers offers teammates training camp advice in 'Hard Knocks' teaser
Aaron Rodgers has been around the block a time or two. He's heading into his 19th NFL season and though he's only in his first training camp as the quarterback for the New York Jets, he knows exactly what it takes to be successful in this league.
From his monumental draft slide in 2005 to a Super Bowl win and four league MVPs as a member of the iconic Green Bay Packers, Rodgers knows all about the ups and downs of life in the NFL.
He also knows that time moves fast. That's a lesson many of us learn when we start to see grey popping up on our heads.
Rodgers, now a grizzled vet, offered up sage advice to his fellow quarterbacks at a recent training camp practice. That was caught by the ever-present cameras of HBO's "Hard Knocks", and the four-time MVP's "speech" is undoubtedly worth watching.
"I'm just happy to be out here, excited to be with you guys. All I'm going to say is this camp is a long camp. Let's just enjoy the little things every single day," Rodgers said. Take time to laugh a little bit. Find a conversation at lunchtime with somebody new. Don't always sit with the same group -- get to know your teammates a little bit. It's part of the leadership role. Just enjoy the little moments. It goes by fast, and then you get to be really old and grey and savoring every little moment, so savor them right now."
That's not just good advice for football players, but it's great advice for life.
Rodgers has become a lightning rod for criticism and controversy ever since his "immunized" comments during the global COVID-19 pandemic. He's also brought some drama to the past few offseason for the Packers, so much so that general manager Brian Gutekunst was comfortable trading him -- one of the best quarterbacks of all time -- away this past offseason.
Rodgers can make his detractors look silly if he plays well for a Jets team that has gone all-in on him and the pursuit of a Super Bowl in 2023. Conversely, he could make the Packers look smart for moving on to Jordan Love if he doesn't play well in his age-40 season. Last season was certainly pedestrian by his standards, so it will be interesting to see what Rodgers the Jets get in 2023.
Either way, it seems almost certain that he'll be taking the whole experience in and savoring one of his last seasons as an NFL quarterback.
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