Getty Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers leaves the field following a game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lambeau Field on November 14, 2021 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers defeated the Seahawks 17-0.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers finally got his first tattoo this offseason, and the internet at large — including his teammates — are still buzzing about the reigning MVP’s intricate inkwork.
On Wednesday, July 6, Rodgers unveiled the new tattoo adorning his left forearm in a post to his Instagram that credited Hungarian artist Balazs Bercsenyi for the work. He also teased a hidden meaning behind his tattoo with the caption: “There’s a deep and meaningful story and connection to absolutely each element of this art piece, and I’ll share a little more about that one day. For now, just thankful for @balazsbercsenyi and his patience and artistry.”
It didn’t take long for Rodgers’ teammates of past and present to start sounding off about the tattoo. Tim Boyle, his former backup, kept it simple and wrote, “Incredible.” Some of his receivers chimed in, too, with encouraging responses, while David Bakhtiari — a good friend of Rodgers — couldn’t resist the urge to troll him about the ink.
“I hope this is a henna tattoo,” Bakhtiari commented.
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Rodgers Expects ‘Long’ Camp for Packers Offense
Once the ink has settled, Rodgers will have to start turning his attention toward the start of Packers training camp on July 26, but he also understands the unique circumstances that he and the offense are facing heading into the 2022 season. The Packers lost Davante Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling — two of their top pass-catchers — from their roster this offseason and avoided major free agent spending to address their needs at the position, opting instead to add Sammy Watkins at an affordable rate and to invest three of their 2022 draft picks in new talent.
Naturally, some outside the organization are already sounding alarm bells about the Packers and their capability to compete as a passing offense. ESPN, for example, deemed their receiving corps “one of the worst in the league” in their 32-team assessment of strengths and weaknesses and acknowledged the rookies will face quite a bit of pressure early on in their first NFL season.
The way Rodgers sees it, though, the Packers’ rookie receivers will also get to spend an entire training camp dueling with one of the best defenses in the league.
“I was joking with a couple of my buddies on the squad and in the personnel department and training room and said, ‘Could be a long training camp for the offense,'” Rodgers said. “I like the way our defense is looking and playing and just on paper, it looks like they’re going to be pretty formidable, so there could be some growing pains for the offense, which will be great for us. It’ll be nice to take our lumps from time to time. I think it’ll help us get better facing a real good defense like that.”