Cal Sports Report

Aaron Rodgers Begins Darkness Retreat at the 'End of This Week'

Former Cal quarterback corrects a report from Ian Rapoport

Jake Curtis

Former Cal star Aaron Rodgers noted on The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday that he is beginning his four-day darkness retreat at "the end of this week," and it has not already started and has not been delayed as reported by one prominent sports reporter.

This probably does not qualify as news, but it's February in the nothing-is-happening days directly following the Super Bowl, so this gets some attention.

Rodgers' name is also coming up today (Tuesday) in reports in connection with the Raiders' quarterback position now that Las Vegas has released Derek Carr. Rodgers name has been bandied about as possibly being traded to the Raiders if he opts to play in 2023.

(ESPN.com provides a lengthy article Tuesday on what the Raiders may have in mind at quarterback now, with Rodgers being option No. 1 along with a number of obstacles that might make that transaction difficult to complete.)

But Rodgers has not decided whether he will retire, and he reiterated Tuesday that he is not using the darkness retreat as a means to decide his football future.  Presumably, the four days in total darkness may coincidentally lead to some answers about his NFL future, but that is not its purpose.

But there has been a lot of media discussion about this darkness retreat and when it will take place.

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com said earlier this week that Rodgers' retreat was scheduled to begin Monday, although he allowed that Rodgers might have delayed it.

Rodgers took exception to that report on his Tuesday appareance on The Pat McAfee Show, saying the dates of his four-day retreat were determined four months ago and have not changed.  He did not say the exact day the retreat would begin, saying only it will take place at "the end of this week."

Also, he noted that while he respects Rapoport and ESPN's Adam Schefter, "No one in my inner circle talks to them."

He added, "When it comes to me they don't know s---."

Rodgers went on to give more details of his four-day foray into darkness, suggesting that he "possibly" could make some videos of his experience at the retreat.

He noted -- presumably in jest -- that people could then see him singing, doing interpretive dance or making animal sounds.

Rodgers also revealed his two biggest fears -- heights and sharks -- and gave his thoughts on the objects being shot out of the sky, noted that Barbra Streisand is his favorite band and said cauliflower is his favorite food, although he is not vegan.

The talk then turned the important topic of urination and defecation in a toilet in darkness.

Rodgers concluded that the importance of his darkness retreat "pales in comparison to what's going on in the world."

You can check out Rodgers' 40-minute session on The Pat McAfee Show below.  Rodgers' segment begins about one hour and 11 minutes into the video..

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Cover photo of Aaron Rodgers by Ray Acevedo, USA TODAY Sports

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Jake Curtis
JAKE CURTIS

Jake Curtis worked in the San Francisco Chronicle sports department for 27 years, covering virtually every sport, including numerous Final Fours, several college football national championship games, an NBA Finals, world championship boxing matches and a World Cup. He was a Cal beat writer for many of those years, and won awards for his feature stories.

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