Unauthorized Aaron Rodgers Biography Coming Soon, But Jets' Chapter Unwritten
One could sufficiently fill a book with only the past 12 months of Aaron Rodgers-related headlines, but longtime sports scribe Ian O'Connor is attempting to tell the lifelong story of the New York Jets' 40-year-old quarterback.
According to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, O'Connor's unauthorized Rodgers biography, entitled Out of the Darkness: The Mystery of Aaron Rodgers, is due to hit the market on August 20.
Rodgers, a four-time NFL MVP, proclaimed his intention to play for the Jets last March shortly after completing a darkness retreat during which he admittedly contemplated retirement. The Green Bay Packers traded the future Hall-of-Fame field general to New York in late April. Rodgers's arrival instantly transformed the Jets into a preseason Super Bowl contender, but the plan was derailed when the quarterback tore his Achilles four offensive snaps into the season opener against the Buffalo Bills.
"I requested him right after the trade,” said O’Connor in an interview with Florio. "And he finally agreed to an interview last month. It’s an unauthorized bio and Aaron didn’t owe me anything, so I appreciated the in-person audience. I had two hours with him so he could respond to what I had learned and what I had been told during my research. He made it a better book.”
As far as the Jets are concerned, a significant piece of Rodgers's story remains unwritten. Carrying a sense of unfinished business, New York is set to run it back with Rodgers, who returned to practice last December, at the controls.
"He's working his tail off out in California," said Jets' fourth-year head coach Robert Saleh on Monday at the league meetings in Orlando. "Knowing Aaron, he's on a mission to do a lot of things that he wanted to do last year and he's not gonna stop until he gets it done."
In the meantime, Rodgers will likely be tuned into an important political announcement on Tuesday. His preferred Presidential candidate, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is set to unveil his Vice Presidential running mate. Rodgers, along with former Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura, was rumored to be on the short list, but is reportedly no longer under consideration.