Aaron Rodgers posts farewell to Packers as he says it’s hard to ‘fully express the gratitude’

A day after his highly anticipated transfer to the Jets was sealed, Aaron Rodgers thanked the Packers and their fans after 18 years in Green Bay.

The quarterback took to Instagram to share the post, where he singled out his Green Bay head coaches Mike McCarthy and Matt LaFleur, president Mark Murphy and GM Brian Gutekunst, among others.

“I’m not sure it’s possible to fully express the gratitude I have to the @packers, our incredible fans, the state of Wisconsin, the thousands of players I encountered, the incredible men and women who work for the organization. , and the wonderful people I met along the way, in one post with 10 photos, but I hope you read this and feel my heart and soul, filled with love, joy and peace about my time in green and gold,” he began the explanation.

“I grew up in Green Bay, got drafted at 21, fell in love with the game, met friends for life and take back memories that will last a lifetime.

“I am grateful to the late Ted Thompson for calling me, for my head coaches, especially the 13 years with Mike McCarthy and the last 4 with Matt LaFleur. I’ve had some incredible men to work with in the QB room over the years, including Tom, AVP, Luke and Connor.

“A huge thank you to my guys in the equipment room, Red, TBone, Odea, Kev, Bryan, Andy Grouber, all my lovely friends in the training room over the years, Nate, Flea, Doc McKenzie, Doc Gray, Pepp and Want.

‘The legendary Adam Korzun and his incredible staff; Dougie, Crabby, and Scotty, for always looking out for me; Tom, Nate, Sarah and Jason in PR, Evan for bringing my work life to film, The Rock and Wayne, for articulating the highlights of my career, Grey, and Big Rob for your work with our guys over the years , Dude, Thad, Grant and Gizz in the weight room, Bob Harlan, Russ Ball, Mark Murphy and Brian Gutekunst for your stewardship of the organization, everyone on the 3rd and 4th floors who keep the building running smoothly, and so many countless others at the loading dock, guided tours, concessions, maintenance, our field service, etc.

“To the fans, THANK YOU, you made every run out of the tunnel special, every home game magical, and I was honored to be your QB.

“To my teammates, I love you all and am thankful for the moments on and off the pitch that have brought us close. I played with legends, I played with friends; thank you for believing in me and always standing by me.’

He then declared, “This is not the end for us, I will see you again, Green Bay, you will always have my heart,” signing the message “-12.”

Green Bay and New York agreed on a deal Monday that sent Rodgers to the Jets for their second and sixth round picks of 2023, and a conditional second round pick of 2024, which will be a first if Rodgers plays 65 percent of snaps this season.

In addition, the teams switched first round picks this year, with the Jets getting the Packers No. 15 and Green Bay New York’s No. 13, while Rodgers’ new team also got a fifth round pick in this year’s draft.

Rodgers can be seen in his last ever game for the Packers, a 20-16 loss to the Lions on January 8

The quarterback poses with the MVP trophy in 2011 after winning Super Bowl XLV

NY Jets GM Joe Douglas spoke to media on Tuesday after the teams agreed to the trade

While it’s unclear how long the four-time MVP will remain in New York — as his current contract has an option for 2024 — Jets GM Joe Douglas was effusive in his praise for Gang Green’s new quarterback.

“Aaron is one of the best quarterbacks to ever play this game and to get a chance to add a player of that caliber, you’re always going to look at it,” he told reporters on Tuesday.

“It’s a great honor for Robert and his staff, what he’s been able to realize with everyone here, that a player of Aaron’s caliber would even want to come here.

“We are all delighted to add someone of his character and his abilities.”

Long-time left tackle David Bakhtiari bid a heartfelt goodbye to Rodgers earlier on Tuesday.