GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers acknowledges this season feels different because of the uncertainty surrounding how much longer he and some teammates might remain in Green Bay.
But he doesn’t believe those questions will hinder his focus as the reigning MVP heads into his 17th — and perhaps final — season with the Packers.
“I’m speaking personally and I can’t speak for everybody,” Rodgers said Wednesday. “But the feel that I get with the energy in the locker room is not pressure. It’s focus. I think it’s the right perspective and the right type of focus. We know we have a talented team. We know what the expectations are.”
The Packers open their season Sunday against the New Orleans Saints at Jacksonville, Florida. Green Bay has reached the NFC championship game in four of the last seven seasons and lost every time — including the last two years.
“This is probably the hungriest team that I’ve ever been around, honestly, just because we have been so close a number of times now,” All-Pro receiver Davante Adams said.
The Packers’ opener follows an eventful offseason.
Rodgers skipped the Packers’ organized team activities and mandatory minicamp in a standoff with team officials before reporting to training camp on time. Rodgers wants to have input in the team’s decision-making process and has said he doesn’t know whether he will remain in Green Bay beyond this season.
Adams could become a free agent next year and said Wednesday there’s no chance he will sign a contract extension before Sunday’s game. Other Packers with contracts expiring at the end of the season include receivers Allen Lazard and Marquez Valdes-Scantling and tight end Robert Tonyan.
The potential for roster turnover is creating a sense of urgency.
“We’re just focusing on accountability and holding each other accountable because regardless of what happens with any of our situations, this group will not be together the way it is now in years down the line,” Rodgers said. “So we’re going to enjoy this year for all that it has to offer, and each other, and I think that’s the right perspective to have when you get in this situation.”
Rodgers is coming off one of the best seasons of his Hall of Fame-caliber career. He completed 70.7% of his passes for 4,299 yards and 48 touchdowns with five interceptions, earning his third MVP award and helping the Packers score a league-high 31.8 points per game.
He led the NFL in passer rating, touchdown passes, completion percentage and interception percentage, becoming the first player since Steve Young in 1992 to top those four categories.
“You don’t want to rest on past merits, which I know he doesn’t,” coach Matt LaFleur said. “He definitely put the work in. But I think he’s in a really good headspace. And I think he’s got the right mentality, the right mindset.”
The 37-year-old Rodgers has experienced enough to understand how to maintain focus and not get caught up in the pressure that accompanies high expectations. He’s seeking his second Super Bowl berth after leading the Packers to a title in the 2010 season.
“I’ve been around a long time in this league,” Rodgers said. “I’ve seen a lot of ball and I’ve learned how to channel my energy and my focus to things that get me in the right headspace or perspective, whether it’s the stuff that I do off the field, the meditation helps a lot, too. But I try and pass that stuff along as well.”
Rodgers acknowledges he has adjusted his leadership approach over the years as the age gap between him and his younger teammates has widened.
He bought Valdes-Scantling a collection of books designed to help people find balance and peace. He spent training camp helping to guide second-round draft pick Josh Myers, who is replacing departed All-Pro center Corey Linsley and likely will be joining right guard Royce Newman as one of two rookie starters on an offensive line that’s missing injured All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari.
“We had a nice conversation with some of the rookies on Monday and the message is what the accountability is and the expectations are, and also how to navigate this year,” Rodgers said. “And it’s a good reminder for all of us, the challenges that we all face, whether we’re a first-year player or 17th-year player, in staying in the moment, staying present, staying positive, staying focused on what you have to do, not making the moment bigger than it actually is.”
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Steve Megargee, The Associated Press