While fans sit, waiting (and waiting, and waiting) for the NFL draft to finally arrive, the Packers got back to work this past week with the start of the offseason program. One by one, the players arrived at Lambeau Field-all by choice, although the financial gains for some players no doubt helped motivate them north. Workouts commenced, and the 2014-15 season (un)officially got underway with this annual event.

This week also happened to be the week that the NFL Draft would have taken place. Roger Goodell moved the draft back a month into May so the league could remain at Radio City Music Hall. Ironically, the program which prompted the league to delay the draft was in fact postponed. Call it karma:

 

While sitting in Green Bay this past week, with the workout program in full effect, Aaron Rodgers’ nostalgic side was sparked with a reminder of what his day was like on Draft Day 2005:

 

 

This simple tweet by Rodgers, roughly 140 letters and numbers, gave Packers fans two things to consider.

The first is just how fortunate Green Bay was to have Rodgers fall into their lap at number 24 in the first round of the 2005 draft. In hindsight it is shocking that 23 other teams passed on this talent out of California. To all of those teams the Packers and their fans would like to extend a hearty thank you.

Imagine where this Packers team could be right now if Ted Thompson had not pulled the trigger and drafted Rodgers at number 24. Imagine if he had not developed into the player who was more than capable of replacing Brett Favre when the time was right. Imagine where this team could be if none of this happened. On second thought, let’s not imagine any of this, and just appreciate Rodgers and his talents for the time that he is wearing a Packers’ uniform.

Which leads directly into the second point of Rodgers’ tweet.

Nine in, nine to go. That simple hashtag which concluded Rodgers’ tweet was an indication to everyone of just how long Rodgers intends on playing. Nine seasons in, nine more to go. What that means is starting with this season, we are watching the end of Rodgers’ career come closer and closer, and this season marks the beginning of the downward slope of Rodgers’ career.

That is not to say that his performance is suddenly going to fall off a cliff, or he is going to walk away from the game after this season. The reality, however,  is that at some point, presumably the 2022-23 season, Aaron Rodgers will no longer be the quarterback for the Packers.

It doesn’t seem like a possibility, does it? After all, Rodgers will be the starting QB for the Packers for only the seventh season beginning this September. Yet Rodgers reminded all of us that there will be a time when he is no longer playing, going so far as to indicate when his career will come to a conclusion.

All of this info from the very private quarterback-from one simple tweet.

It is a good thing 23 other teams passed on Aaron Rodgers. The Packers and their fans have been able to watch him develop into the best player in the league during his first nine seasons. The final nine should be just as exciting if not more so.

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John Rehor is a writer at PackersTalk.com.

He can also be heard as one of the Co-Hosts of Cheesehead Radio.

You can follow John on twitter at jrehor or email him at johnrehor@yahoo.com.

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