Rodgers: Decision could come in `couple of weeks'

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said he doesn't expect to make a decision on whether to play next season until after the Super Bowl.

Rodgers, 39, has said he is still making up his mind on whether he wants to return to the Packers for a 19th season, retire or request a trade. The fourtime MVP also has noted the possibility the Packers may want to move him.

“It's going to be a little more time for my decision,” Rodgers said Tuesday during his weekly appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” on SiriusXM and YouTube. “I feel confident that in a couple of weeks I'll feel definitely more strongly about one of the two decisions.”

The first decision is whether he wants to play at all.

“You've got to be cognizant of what was going through your mind during the season,” Rodgers said. “Did you enjoy the grind as much? Did you enjoy practice? Did you enjoy the meeting time? Did you enjoy the routine? And not forget about those feelings and make an emotional response either way. I think that's important.”

Rodgers was the league MVP in 2020 and 2021, but didn't perform as well this season while playing with a broken right thumb and dealing with the absence of star wideout Davante Adams, who was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders in March.

Rodgers had his lowest passer rating as a starter and threw 12 interceptions, his highest single-season total since 2008. The Packers went 8-9 and missed the playoffs to end a string of three straight NFC North titles.

Rodgers was asked if he would decide on his plans and would then call the Packers, who would then let him know what they're thinking.

“I think so,” Rodgers said. “It sounds like there's already conversations going on that aren't involving me, which are interesting.”

The Tennessee Titans are tearing up the grass field at Nissan Stadium and replacing it with a synthetic surface before the 2023 season.

The Titans announced the change Tuesday. The team, which already has started work, is making the change after reviewing injury rates and knowing how difficult it is to grow grass at Nissan Stadium since it opened in 1999.

“Ultimately there's just a limit to how much can be done for a natural grass surface in this part of the country,” said Burke Nihill, the team president and CEO. “This turf is cuttingedge technology and will be a huge improvement in terms of consistency and performance.”

The Titans have led the NFL in each of the past two seasons for most players used, including setting a league record with 91 players in 2021 — most in a nonstrike season — because of injuries.

The franchise also learned from the NFL that games at Nissan Stadium have had players suffer more lower-body injuries than games at the league's other stadiums with monofilament, synthetic turf fields over the past few seasons and also was among the league leaders for games with players with lower-body injuries.

Nissan Stadium will be the NFL's first to use the technology featuring a monofilament, Matrix Helix turf with an organic infill that retains moisture better than synthetic fields using rubber. The Titans installed the surface at their indoor practice field last year.

Coach Mike Vrabel said he noticed the grass becoming slick even when replaced with new sod, causing players to slip. Vrabel said players responded favorably to the new indoor surface.