Aaron Rodgers: Seven to eight more years and a couple of titles?

Aaron Rodgers is ready for another seven or eight years with the Green Bay Packers.

Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports photograph

Aaron Rodgers feels he has at least seven or eight more years in him and along the way would like to win at least a couple of more titles – that’s what he told Mike Vandermause of the Green Bay Press Gazette today.

That’s good news for Packers fans and the Packers organization. Should Rodgers make it all the way through the next seven or eight years as the Packers starter, it would be some kind of record in that the franchise could see just two starters over the course of 30 years. But more importantly, if Rodgers’ notion that the team could win a couple of more titles over the course of the remainder of his career, that would place the Packers firmly into elite status among all teams in the league.

Here’s what Rodgers had to say about his future:

"Aaron Rodgers has pointed his way to the future and it looks good for Packers fans. Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports photograph“I said [in the past] eight more [years]. I played eight [seasons], I think I can get eight more. But this contract, the way it’s set up, it’s not comparable to some of the other similar contracts where the cap number becomes so large at the end of three and four and five [years] where they might have to re-do it. I think we can legitimately see this all the way through seven years. Now that would take very consistent play from me, for me to be worth those numbers for the next seven years.  But I fully expect to play well and if I can play seven more good years and we can have some more success and win a couple more [titles], then it might be time to hang it up.”"

By structuring his contract in the way they did, it’s clear the Packers organization wants to keep their star quarterback around for at least the next five years and beyond. And to keep him healthy, team brass also went out of their way to draft offensive linemen and talent in the offensive backfield that should help Rodgers stay upright and healthy. They were very lucky that Rodgers wasn’t hurt at some point last year when he was sacked 51 times.

As long as Rodgers is feeling the competitive fire and has his health he will hit field with the proverbial chip on his shoulder. Big contract or not, Rodgers, it seems to me, will always have that knot in his stomach that brings out his best. I think that continues. He’s been the league MVP; he’s been the Super Bowl MVP; and he’s earned a Super Bowl championship. For many, that would sum up their career.

Not for Rodgers. He says he wants more and you’ve got to believe him.

Aaron Rodgers looks to throw a pass to wide receiver Randall Cobb during the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field in 2012. The Packers defeated the Vikings 23-14. Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports photograph

Rodgers said, “I’ve always said as long as I can be [a] 100 percent offseason contributor and be here for the OTAs and want to be here and continue to want to put in the time in the offseason, then I’m going to be playing.  As long as I have my legs and that commitment to the team, then I’ll keep playing.”

This is good news for Packers fans. They won’t have the “maybe I will, maybe I won’t” mantra that made up the last five years of Brett Favre’s career. What we can look forward to is a quarterback who wants to be a Packer the rest of his career, has the contract that will allow him to do it, and is a warrior who feels he can do it.

Good times are ahead. Strap it up and let’s go.