Getty Aaron Rodgers walks off the field after a 2022 playoff loss.
The Detroit Lions are pondering their offseason plan, but a big part of that always involves watching what happens elsewhere in the NFC North.
There are plenty of variables to consider given the change that has played out in the division this year. A pair of teams in the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings have new head coaches and seem to be primed for a rebuild or restructure on some level. Perhaps the biggest situation hanging in the balance is what happens to the Green Bay Packers.
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Faced with major salary cap problems, the Packers could be set to lose plenty of key players, and one of those could be quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Since the 2021-22 season ended, Rodgers has been the subject of many rumors about his future in the league, and many aren’t sure what will happen in the months ahead.
A Hollywood celebrity and major Lions fan in Keegan-Michael Key has thrown his hat into the ring with a prediction, and it’s one that Detroit will certainly hope comes true in the end. Joining The Adam Schefter Podcast, Key talked about his hopes that Rodgers will move on this offseason and predicted that will be the case in the end.
Actor and comedian and Lions’ fan @KeeganMKey, host of this week’s NFL Honors awards show, thinks (and hopes and prays) that it’s time for Aaron Rodgers to leave Green Bay.
“I think he’s going to leave, I certainly hope he leaves Green Bay. I really feel that he is. He made it very clear, and it’s certainly fair, that he doesn’t want to be part of a rebuild,” Key says in the interview. “That’s certainly whats going to be going on in their ranks right now. I really feel that there’s an exit there because I feel there are appealing places for him to go. He has a legacy in that city, but I feel there is more he wants to achieve and certainly, I feel there is some discontent with what he has achieved. It might be a winning recipe for all involved.”
So far, Key hasn’t been alone with that thought, and many around the internet have been wondering if Rodgers finally moves on. The teams that occupy the NFC North have been terrorized by Rodgers forever, so it’s not hard to blame folks like Key and other fans for hoping the parties split in the end.
Rodgers’ Future Firmly up in the Air Until Decision
It’s still very early considering the NFL offseason doesn’t get going until March, but already, there’s been plenty of conjecture about the future of Rodgers. Many have assumed that he will be seeking a trade or force his way out of Green Bay. Others have wondered if he will decide on retirement. At this point, however, all of that is guesswork until Rodgers himself reveals what his decision will be.
A few weeks ago, Rodgers went on the Pat McAfee Show and explained that when he comes to a decision, he is going to be revealing it live on the program.
“When I come to a decision I will come to Indy & we’ll do it in person” ~@AaronRodgers12
“When I come to a decision, I should probably come on your show and announce it first, right? I’ll come to Indianapolis and we can do it in person,” Rodgers said during his show appearance on January 25.
That is something which Lions fans will want to stay tuned for in the weeks ahead, especially as the offseason rumor mill gets churning.
Key Has Long History Being a Lions Fan
Growing up in Detroit, Key is a big fan of the Lions, so he’s allowed a little bias with this case. He has managed to attend games in the past, and always seems to make time for the team when he can. Key will host the NFL Awards for this season before the Super Bowl and as part of the festivities for that event, the league put out a video of him promoting the ceremony. Within it, he explains his love for the Lions and why he thinks the team could be set to break through in the pretty near future.
After watching the team play in 2021-22, Key has come away with the impression that Dan Campbell is the right guy to be leading the team and the Lions are going to benefit in a big way from his leadership on the field and for the team.
2035? We’re taking the under…
Catch @KeeganMKey hosting #NFLHonors Feb. 10 on @ABC
“Dan Campbell is a man of passion, he’s a man of integrity, he’s a man of experience. I believe that he will actually be able to turn it around in my hometown,” Key explains in the clip. “After our win vs. Minnesota, for him to dedicate the game ball to families of victims in Oxford, Michigan is a piece of rare character. If he’s bestowing that upon the young men who are following him, that’s a wonderful, wonderful thing. I think that Dan Campbell is our man, I feel it in my gut. The Lions are going to win the Super Bowl in 2035 vs. the Martian Gleipworms. You heard it here first.”
As expected, the Lions said they are taking the under in terms of when the team wins the Super Bowl, and as playful as Key’s answer is, it underscores the major point that people feel flat out good about Campbell and where the Lions are heading in the near future.
Known for his work on Mad TV as well as Comedy Central’s hit show Key and Peele, Key remains a major figure in Hollywood comedy. He is also a person that is never shy about representing his home city whenever he can, which folks in Detroit have to love.
In this case, they will love his prediction for the offseason, and certainly hope it rings true in a major way for Detroit’s biggest rivals.
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