Aaron Rodgers turns 35 in December, his 14th NFL season. If the Green Bay Packers quarterback has his way, he'd play five more seasons beyond 2018.
Rodgers told NBC Sports' Peter King playing until he's 40 remains the goal.
"I'd love to play to 40," Rodgers told King. "I just think that number means a lot. Obviously, Tom [Brady] is kind of rewriting the book. Brett [Favre] had a good season when he turned 40. My goal is be able to move like I do or close to how I do and still be able to do that at 40 ... just because nobody's been able to do that and still move around the same. Steve Young's career was cut short in his late thirties. John [Elway], the same-he didn't really move the same as when he was younger. So to be able to move the same way at 38, 39, 40 would be cool. That's my aim."
If Rodgers is to hit that goal with the Packers a new contract would be in order. The quarterback has two years remaining on his contract. With the team able to wield the franchise tag two years beyond, Green Bay owns most of the leverage in any new deal.
Sides, however, have been optimistic that a new contract is possible in the coming months that would return Rodgers to being the NFL's highest-paid player.
Speculation about Rodgers next deal being mostly guaranteed, including opt-out years, or being tied to the salary cap has been rampant this offseason. The QB suggested to King that he's open to a non-traditional deal that could change how NFL contracts are structured.
"It's only been on my mind because ... people have been writing and talking about it a lot," he said. "There have been many conversations about it. I think that there's some merit to looking into where you do a non-traditional contractual agreement. If anybody at this point is gonna be able to do something like that, I think there needs to be a conversation about it. I never said anything about [tying the contract to] the [salary] cap. I just think there's ways to do contracts where you can still be competitive so the team is happy about it, but have some more freedom."
Having freedom doesn't necessarily mean being free to leave Green Bay. Rodgers said his dream scenario would keep him in Wisconsin the rest of his career. The QB knows the reality of the NFL suggests such a career would be an outlier, not a norm.
"But I think in my time there, I realize no one is above the team," he said. "They can trade Brett Favre, Jordy Nelson. They can not re-sign a Charles Woodson or Julius Peppers. They make decisions that are in the best interest of the team. It could be me at some point. You have to be humble enough to realize that, and I do. I'd love to be able to ...
"How many guys get to actually pick the way and the team how they go out? You know? Hardly anybody. You have to understand that's a real possibility. But yeah, my dream situation would be to stay in Green Bay."
That situation would be a dream for most Packers fans as well.
