Green Bay Packers

Aaron Rodgers is out of the darkness -- the NFL superstar ended his spiritual getaway on Wednesday ... and now, fans will patiently wait for him to announce his football future.

The 39-year-old spent the past few days completely disconnected from the world at Sky Cave Retreats in Oregon ... where he stayed in a 300-square-foot room that had zero natural lighting.

The facility's owner, Scott Berman, told ESPN Rodgers' room was partially underground and included a queen-sized bed, bathroom and a meditation mat.

Rodgers previously said he was going to spend four days and four nights off the grid and out of the light ... in an attempt to clear his head before deciding what to do with his career.

He explained to "The Pat McAfee Show" that the retreat wasn't solely about football ... as he's been wanting to have the experience for some time.

"I've had a number of friends who have done it and had some profound experiences and it's something that's been on my radar for a few years now and I felt like it'd be awesome to do regardless of where I was leaning after this season," Rodgers said earlier this month. "So, it's been on the calendar for months and months and months."

Of course, Rodgers -- who's slated to make nearly $60 million in 2023 -- could return to the Green Bay Packers, request a trade to a new team, or ride off into the sunset with Tom Brady in retirement.

Sorry, Tom Brady ... Green Bay Packers star Allen Lazard is giving the G.O.A.T. title to Aaron Rodgers -- telling TMZ Sports the QB is the best pigskin-thrower ever!

"The greatest of all time," the 27-year-old said of his quarterback out at Super Bowl festivities last weekend. "Not might, no might. Drop the might. He's the G.O.A.T."

Of course, most consider Brady to be the best ever -- dude has seven Super Bowl rings, played until he was 45, and owns just about every passing record ever -- but Lazard told us he's going with his signal-caller over anyone else.

"The best person to ever pick up a football and throw the ball," he said. "I'll leave it at that."

Lazard might be a bit biased, he's been catching passes from Rodgers since 2018 -- and gushed over the QB's pinpoint accuracy when we asked him about playing with the signal-caller.

As for their future together, though, it's murky -- Lazard is a free agent ... and Rodgers is rumored to be a trade candidate this offseason.

Regardless, AL says he'll always be Rodgers' biggest supporter.

"Catching passes from him has, you know, it's been a highlight of my life, my career, and everything," Lazard said.

The wideout's teammate, Aaron Jones, however, told us at the SB LVII festivities he doesn't like the idea of Rodgers playing anywhere else, especially if it happens to be with the Las Vegas Raiders.

"He's my quarterback!" the running back said. "I don't want him to go nowhere."

Tiki Barber says Aaron Rodgers would likely struggle in New York if traded to the big city, but it's got little to do with football or the team's roster ... the Giants legend says AR couldn't handle the cold-blooded reporters!

Of course, Barber would know firsthand ... he spent 10 seasons with the G-Men in New York, where the pressure is incredibly high, and he received his fair share of criticism.

With talk of the Jets exploring the idea of trading for the future first-ballot Hall of Famer, Tiki isn't so sure it's a great idea.

"It just made me start to realize that if he is that sensitive, he gets upset that people, reporters, opinion makers, influencers, whoever, wanna talk about him, he is going to struggle in New York," Barber said on his show with Brandon Tierney on WFAN in NYC.

"I don't know if it's the right fit for him. I don't know if I want him in New York if this is going to be his reaction to things that don't matter."

Barber went on to say the Green Bay Packers quarterback brings the attention on himself, talking about isolation retreats and other things most people aren't accustomed to, and then gets upset when people talk about him.

"If Aaron Rodgers doesn't want people talking about him" Barber said, "He needs to stop talking!"

"We're gonna talk about it. you have to. It's our job to and for him to get offended by that, he's not gonna handle the intensity of the New York mediascape."

The New York Jets aren't the only organization interested in potentially bringing in the 4x MVP -- there are several other teams -- though, Rodgers has not even committed to playing the 2023 season.

Tom Brady won't join the chorus of people knockin' Aaron Rodgers' "darkness retreat" while he mulls over his football future ... saying we could all benefit from putting our phones down and enjoying some peace and quiet.

Brady defended Rodgers on his Let's Go! podcast with Jim Gray ... after the 4x NFL MVP and SB champ announced he'd be spending four days by himself as he mulls retirement.

"Everyone has their different processes they go through," Brady said, adding ... "I think we all need to get away from the TV a little bit more. I think we all need a little more nature and a little more silence and a little more peace."

"Everybody has their unique way to process the season."

Rodgers addressed criticism over the retreat, writing "be curious, not judgemental" on social media.

Of course, Rodgers is coming off a disappointing season by his standards ... his team missed the playoffs after dropping a must-win home game to the Lions at Lambeau Field in Week 18.

Brady said although Rodgers and the Packers struggled this season ... he doesn't want to see Aaron walk away from the sport because, simply put, the league is better with him.

"I hope he doesn't retire because like I said, I think the league needs good quarterbacks and he’s one of the greats," Brady said. "So if he retires it’ll be a sad day for the league. He’s an incredible player."

Brett Favre is dragging Pat McAfee and Shannon Sharpe to court ... suing the ultra-popular sports analysts after he says they made comments about him that were false and defamatory.

Favre filed the lawsuits earlier this week in Mississippi -- naming state auditor Shad White as a defendant in one of the suits as well.

The Green Bay Packers legend claims in the suits all three defamed him when talking about his alleged role in a welfare funds scandal in Mississippi.

Favre said McAfee made some of the remarks on his podcast, alleging the former NFL punter said the ex-QB was "stealing from poor people in Mississippi."

The Hall of Famer claimed Sharpe muttered defamatory comments on his FS1 show -- when he said Sharpe called Favre a "sorry mofo to steal from the lowest of the low."

As for White, Favre says the Mississippi official has "shamelessly and falsely" attacked him for months "in a brazen attempt to leverage the media attention generated by Favre's celebrity to further his own political career."

FYI, White and his office were the ones who initially discovered the alleged misuse of welfare funds, claiming over $70 million intended to go toward the needy in Miss. actually went elsewhere -- including to Favre as well as projects closely associated with the Hall of Famer.

Favre, though, has denied any wrongdoing in the case ... insisting back in September, "I have done nothing wrong."

Favre is suing the trio for unspecified damages.

A spokesman for the State Auditor's office said Thursday in response to the suits that "everything Auditor White has said about this case is true and is backed by years of audit work by the professionals at the Office of the State Auditor."

Derek Carr out ... Aaron Rodgers in?

If No. 4 is definitively on his way to being traded from Vegas this offseason ... Raiders star Darren Waller is making it clear, he wants Rodgers to replace him.

In fact, the tight end is downright recruiting the Packers star to Nevada while under the assumption that Carr's a goner ... saying at Jay Glazer's Super Bowl party in Arizona this week, "If you come, it's gonna be lit!"

Waller added in his pitch that Las Vegas is a better place to be than Green Bay "in most cases."

"If he comes," Waller said of Rodgers, "I'd be a happy camper."

Of course, there's a lot of pieces that would have to fall into place to make Waller's wish come true. First, Carr would have to be traded. Then, Vegas would have to make a swap with the Packers for Rodgers.

But, Carr already appears to be on the verge of being moved -- he just met with the Saints this week. And, all signs seem to be pointing toward Rodgers being jettisoned from Green Bay too (that is, if his isolation retreat leads him to one more year of football).

Shawne Merriman doesn't quite get Aaron Rodgers' upcoming isolation retreat -- he says it "sounds like jail to me" -- but the ex-Chargers star tells TMZ Sports he isn't going to judge the QB for trying to better himself.

Both Merriman and former NFL star LaVar Arrington weighed in on the Green Bay Packers signal-caller's plans to lock himself in darkness for four days later this month ... and neither guy said it was something they'd get themselves into.

But, both former football players -- who were catching a meal together out at Super Bowl week in Arizona -- had no desire to shade the 39-year-old for it.

"I don't knock how anybody goes and find themselves," Merriman said. "Like, so, if you've got to go to a dark room for four days, go to the dark room. Make it six!"

Added Arrington, "Everybody has their own journeys in life. I'm not one to judge somebody on what their journey of enlightenment and self-understanding is."

Rodgers initially revealed his plans for the isolation trip on "The Pat McAfee Show" on Tuesday ... saying he's going to go to "a little house" in a few weeks and lock himself in a dark room.

The quarterback said the goal of it all is to come out with a more clear picture of whether or not he wants to play football again going forward.

Arrington admitted it sounds like "solitary confinement" to him ... but, again, he said he's all for it if it helps Rodgers.

Aaron Rodgers has a message for those criticizing his plans to submerge himself in darkness before deciding his NFL future -- "Be curious, not judgmental."

Some folks have been scratching their heads after the Green Bay quarterback said on "The Pat McAfee Show" he will go on a 4-day isolation retreat to self-reflect before figuring out whether or not he will retire ... with former offensive tackle Mitchell Schwartz sarcastically calling it odd the Packers aren't more involved in the situation.

"Weird the Packers aren’t consulting more with the guy who needs to go on a 4 day darkness retreat to figure out whether he wants to play football…," Schwartz said on Twitter.

AR12 got wind of the Super Bowl champ's bewilderment ... and instead of clapping back with negativity, he took the higher road.

"We are all on our own path, and doing things like this helps me find a greater sense of peace and love for life," Rodgers said. "Love and respect to you ❤️"

Rodgers explained his reasoning behind the retreat with McAfee on Tuesday ... saying the ultimate unplugging from the real world can help produce incredible results.

"It’s just sitting in isolation, meditation, dealing with your thoughts," Rodgers said. "It stimulates DMT, so there can be some hallucinations in there, but it’s just kind of sitting in silence, which most of us never do."

"We rarely even turn our phone off or put the blinds down to sleep in darkness. I’m really looking forward to it."

First, it was ayahuasca ... now Aaron Rodgers is turning to isolation retreats to help him make future decisions -- revealing Tuesday he intends to lock himself in darkness for four days this month while he contemplates retirement.

The Green Bay Packers star just revealed the eyebrow-raising plans on "The Pat McAfee Show" ... calling it "a darkness retreat" that he intends on embarking on "in a couple weeks."

Rodgers explained ... it all entails heading to "a little house" where he'll be completely by himself in a room. He said there's a slot where food will be delivered to him occasionally -- but outside of that, he intends on having no contact with anybody or anything for roughly 96 total hours.

"It's four nights of complete darkness," the 39-year-old said.

"You're not locked in. You can leave. If you can't do it, you can just walk out the door. But, it's a darkness retreat."

Rodgers, who famously used an ayahuasca trip to propel him to two MVP awards in his career, said there will be "no music, no nothing" while he's in isolation ... and the ultimate goal of it all is to come out with a clear decision about his NFL future.

"I've had a number of friends who have done it and had some profound experiences and it's something that's been on my radar for a few years now and I felt like it'd be awesome to do regardless of where I was leaning after this season," Rodgers said. "So, it's been on the calendar for months and months and months. And it's coming up in a couple weeks."

Rodgers, as part of a contract extension he signed with the Packers last year, is currently set to make $59.465 million if he plays in 2023.

Could an Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams reunion happen in Las Vegas?? The Raiders superstar had fans salivating after hinting at the possibility during a Q&A on Twitter ... and now, everyone is freaking out.

#17 dropped the bombshell tweet on Wednesday ... when he was asked, "Which neighborhood is @AaronRodgers12 moving to?"

Adams' response was short and to the point ... but it was certainly enough to send Twitter into a frenzy.

"Mine," the All-Pro receiver said.

Adams and Rodgers were one of the best duos in the league when they played together on the Packers from 2014-21 ... but split up after the receiver was traded to Vegas last season.

As rumors swirl that Rodgers could be the next piece to get traded out of Green Bay, the Raiders are certainly a potential landing spot now that Derek Carr has seemingly played his last down for the Silver and Black.

Adams also talked about a ton of other topics ... including his sneaker game, claiming he can get any pair of Jordans he wants.

He also said he misses the people in Green Bay -- but they can "keep the weather."

Allen Lazard's wallet won't be 10 Gs lighter after all ... the NFL rescinded the $10,609 fine it hit him with after he appeared to taunt Dolphins players in a Christmas Day game -- and the Packers star couldn't have been happier about it.

The league initially forced Aaron Rodgers' favorite target to shell out the big bucks after he counted to three following a vicious block that took out three Dolphins defenders on one play back in Green Bay's 26-20 win over Miami on Dec. 25.

Lazard delivered the hit -- which allowed his running back, Aaron Jones, to get loose -- and then celebrated afterward, pointing out how many bodies he knocked to the ground. The NFL didn't like it, and fined him days later.

But, the league changed its tune Friday ... saying in a letter to the receiver, "After reviewing the arguments and video presented to me during the appeal, I have concluded that the evidence does not warrant a fine for this violation."

The announcement was music to Lazard's ears ... who tweeted, "Guys, they aren’t going to fine me anymore for counting to 3!!!"

WWE Superstar Braun Strowman is teaming up with the Green Bay Packers ... to create a pair of custom boots to honor a young fan who tragically lost his life during the Waukesha Christmas Parade attack in 2021.

The Packers shared a video on Thursday ... where the 6'8", nearly 350-pound pro wrestler said he would wear the boots this Friday on Smackdown in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Strowman, wearing a No.99 Packers jersey in the video, said one of the late victims was a fan of his ... and wished to meet Braun, but that never happened.

The boots, modeled after Braun's conventional WWE footwear, are the Packers' colors -- dark green and gold -- and feature the iconic "G" logo on the side.

Back in 2021, a man drove an SUV through a crowd at the annual Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin ... killing six people and injuring 62 others.

Police arrested Darrell Brooks and charged him with five counts of first-degree intentional homicide. Brooks was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole last November.

The former WWE champ said the custom Packers boots would be auctioned off ... and all proceeds would be donated to the Waukesha Christmas Parade Foundation.

Aaron Rodgers very well could have played his last NFL game on Sunday ... with the Green Bay Packers quarterback kick-starting retirement rumblings based on how he presented himself after being eliminated from the playoffs.

The 4-time MVP had the football world in a frenzy following the Packers' 20-16 loss to the Detroit Lions ... when he appeared to soak in what may be his last moment in a Green Bay uniform at Lambeau Field -- putting his arm around longtime teammate and best friend Randall Cobb as they made their way to the locker room.

After the L, Rodgers' comments certainly added to the speculation ... saying he will make a decision on his future after he takes some time to process everything.

"At some point the carousel comes to a stop and it’s time to get off," Rodgers said on Sunday.

"I feel good about what I've accomplished in this league and wouldn't have any regrets walking away. But I gotta see what it feels like once I get away from this."

Rodgers also had people talking when he rejected Lions receiver Jameson Williams' jersey swap request ... when he appeared to tell him, "I’m gonna hold on to this one."

Rodgers later explained he likes to keep specific jerseys that might have a special meaning to him ... and said since it was a primetime Week 18 game at Lambeau, those threads fell under that category.

Packers star Quay Walker is apologizing for shoving a Detroit Lions trainer during "Sunday Night Football" -- calling his actions both "stupid" and "wrong."

The Green Bay defender put his hands on a Detroit official who was trying to tend to an injured player late in the game at Lambeau Field ... and the rookie linebacker's actions were so disturbing, referees actually ejected him from the game.

The 22-year-old first-round pick was panned for the move -- particularly after the Buffalo Bills had just credited one of their trainers with helping save Damar Hamlin's life earlier in the week -- and on Monday morning, Walker issued an apology for his actions on his Twitter page.

"I want to apologize publicly about what happened Sunday night," said Walker, who led the Packers in tackles this season. "I reacted off of my emotions again and take full responsibility of making another stupid decision."

"Since then I've questioned myself on why did I do what I did when the trainer was doing his job!! I was wrong!!"

Walker -- who was actually ejected earlier this season against the Bills for shoving a Buffalo assistant in a similar fashion -- also explained his actions that followed the ejection ... saying he was kicking himself in the stadium tunnel after he had "messed up again."

"[I] was wrong for what I did and couldn't believe I did it again," Walker said. "To the Detroit lions and to the entire training staff including the person I did that too. I'm sorry."

Walker says he will accept whatever punishment will come his way.

Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, meanwhile, called the incident "unacceptable" ... and said he holds his players to a "much higher standard."

News of Aaron Rodgers and Mallory Edens' new romance was just confirmed this week, but the clues were there as early as last month ... with the two sharing candy as they watched the Milwaukee Bucks from their courtside seats.

As we reported on Friday -- the Green Bay Packers quarterback and Bucks owner's daughter are, in fact, dating ... with the news coming off as a surprise to many.

But upon further review of Rodgers and Edens' recent public outing ... folks shouldn't be so shocked.

In the short clip from the Dec. 2 matchup against the Lakers, Aaron grabs a handful of what appears to be Mike and Ikes and downs 'em before passing it to Edens, who takes the box from him.

We get it -- it's not much, but it's certainly something a couple would do ... and just goes to show that they were enjoying their time together.

As we previously reported, the rumors had been swirling all week ... with many pointing out Edens recently hit up a Green Bay Packers game decked out in the home team's gear. Turns out all the rumors were right!!

Rooting for your team to face the Bucs or Packers in the postseason? Better think twice about that ... so says Warren Moon, who tells TMZ Sports that Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers are legit threats to make noise in this year's postseason.

Both guys have had down years, making many believe they'll be layups when Wild Card weekend rolls around later this month. But, Moon says no matter how much the QBs have struggled in the regular season, he believes both dudes have the potential to be very different beasts when the playoffs begin.

When it comes to Tampa Tom, Moon says Brady's experience and competitiveness simply make him a tough out. The Hall of Famer said it's similar with Rodgers and the Pack.

Moon did note he'd like to see Tampa Bay get its running game going if it really wants to get Tom a deep playoff run.