As the 2023 NFL offseason looms, the biggest story of the moment is the future of Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. With 16 years of service for the Packers, Rodgers may be looking for a change of scenery to finish his NFL career. Former quarterback Carson Palmer, who changed teams near the end of his playing career, believes that a team change could be beneficial for Rodgers.
“It can be stimulating,” Palmer said in an interview with Locked on Packers’ Peter Bukowski. “When Aaron goes somewhere else, which I believe, you have to go in and reestablish yourself as a leader…it can be an energizing experience and something you might need at this point in your life.”
Palmer himself changed teams towards the end of his career, spending seven years in Cincinnati, two years in Oakland, and five years in Arizona. During his time in Arizona, Palmer had his best season yet, throwing for a career-high 4,671 yards and 35 touchdowns at age 36 — finishing second in MVP voting and making his third and final Pro Bowl appearance.
He believes that the change of scenery will be beneficial for Rodgers, both on and off the field. “Maybe it will energize him and spark a little more work ethic and change the way he speaks to the media and interacts with his teammates,” Palmer said. “Maybe things will change and be different when he’s in a new environment.”
Rodgers is currently participating in a darkness retreat to gain clarity on his next move. If he decides to keep playing, Palmer believes a new team could be the perfect way to revitalize his career and put together a few more solid seasons before hanging them up for good.