Rodgers entering an uncertain offseason

GREEN BAY, WIS. — Aaron Rodgers heads into another offseason of uncertainty after one more frustrating finish to a brilliant year.

Rodgers drove the Packers to a touchdown on the game’s opening possession, then couldn’t get them back in the end zone the rest of Saturday night. Their season ended with a stunning 13-10 NFC divisional playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

Robbie Gould’s 45-yard field goal as time expired won the game for the 49ers, who scored 10 unanswered points in the final five minutes.

“A little numb, for sure,” Rodgers said. “I didn’t think it was going to end like this.”

But was this just the end of Rodgers’ season? Or is it the end of his remarkable tenure in Green Bay?

The shocking finish capped a turbulent year in which Rodgers skipped the Packers’ mandatory minicamp; missed a game due to a positive COVID19 test after making misleading comments about his vaccination status; but still earned All-Pro honors and put himself in position for a possible fourth MVP award.

Rodgers didn’t want to speculate on his future. He said last month that he hadn’t ruled out any possibility, including returning to Green Bay, requesting a trade or retiring.

“I don’t think it’s fair to anybody or myself to really go down those paths at this point,” Rodgers said. “It’s disappointing, sad and fresh. I’ll have conversations in the next week or so and start to contemplate after that.”

Rodgers did say Saturday night that his relationship with general manager Brian Gutekunst had improved this season.

Rodgers entered Saturday having thrown 20 touchdown passes with no interceptions over his last seven regular-season games. But he once again wasn’t spectacular in the postseason. He went 20 of 29 for 225 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. He was sacked five times while working behind an offensive line missing injured tackle David Bakhtiari.

When the Packers had the ball in a tie game in the closing minutes, they went threeand-out and punted, which eventually led to the 49ers’ winning field goal.