Aaron Rodgers' Ex-Packers Teammate Jordy Nelson Breaks Silence on QB's Future

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Former Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

The Green Bay Packers haven’t been the NFL home of four-time MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers for more than two years now, but it’s still the organization that knows him best.

Because of that, Rodgers’ former teammates simply can’t escape inquiries as to what the legendary quarterback is thinking and feeling, or what he might do as his 2025 free agency continues toward the end of its second month.

Retired wide receiver Jordy Nelson, who is a former Pro Bowler and NFL Comeback Player of the Year and was also one of Rodgers’ all-time favorite targets, was the most recent ex-teammate to share his insight on the 41-year-old quarterback and his current playing situation.

“I have no idea what he’s going to do,” Nelson said in an interview with RG during draft week. “The one thing I know is he’s going to take his time. He’s going to think through it. He’s going to make the best decision for himself.”

Nelson — who left the sport after 2018, his sole season outside of Green Bay, during which he played as a member of the Las Vegas Raiders (then located in Oakland) — did offer Rodgers a some advice.

“My best advice would be if you still have an itch to go do it, go do it,” Nelson said. “Because once it’s done, it’s done. You’re not going to be able to come back and do it. You’ll know when it’s time to be done. You’ll know — at least I did.”

Aaron Rodgers Running Out of Places to Play in 2025

GettyFree agent quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Rodgers, who will turn 42 near the end of the 2025 regular season, has done more than just take his time.

The quarterback gummed up the works of free agency early on, as both the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants made him offers, and he told both of them to wait.

There was approximately a week during which the Minnesota Vikings considered bringing Rodgers into the fold as a potential backup QB/competition and mentor to second-year signal caller J.J. McCarthy. Minnesota ultimately decided that wasn’t the appropriate move, at which points most assumed Rodgers would decide between New York and Pittsburgh.

Rodgers, however, continued to push off his decision, and the Giants ultimately signed both Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston out of free agency before selecting Jaxson Dart out of Ole Miss late in the first round of the NFL draft.

The Vikings didn’t entirely shut the door on Rodgers, though they traded with the Seattle Seahawks for Sam Howell and then signed the No. 2-ranked undrafted free agent QB in Max Brosmer out of the University of Minnesota following the draft’s conclusion — essentially rendering Rodgers entirely an afterthought.

Steelers Appear Last Option for Aaron Rodgers to Sign as NFL Starter

GettyFree agent quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

While Rodgers continues to operate as though everything is breezy, the reality is that he may have just one opportunity left to step immediately into a starting QB role in 2025, and that opportunity resides in Pittsburgh.

The Steelers drafted Ohio State’s Will Howard, the quarterback of the 2024 National Title team, in the sixth round. However, Howard doesn’t project as a rookie starter. The only other QBs on Pittsburgh’s roster as of Monday, April 28, were Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson — both well-established backup options in the league.

Steelers owner Art Rooney II said during the draft that the franchise still believes Rodgers intends on joining its roster, though a time will come during the preseason when Rodgers will either have to commit to Pittsburgh or force the team to look elsewhere for a starter.

Max Dible covers the NFL, NBA and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns. He covered local and statewide news as a reporter for West Hawaii Today and served as news director for BigIslandNow.com and Pacific Media Group’s family of Big Island radio stations before joining Heavy. More about Max Dible