Sports: Aaron Rodgers: I'm 'having the time of my life' with Green Bay Packers

Aaron Rodgers' stiff back and his stance on staying in a hotel the night before home games notwithstanding — he's still not a fan of that, by the way — the Green Bay Packers quarterback is in a pretty good frame of mind.

And for the record, you can call him a cold-weather quarterback.

What that all means for 2022, of course, is unknown.

But Rodgers certainly doesn't appear "disgruntled" seven weeks into the NFL season, as it was reported during the offseason, or a player who is still considering retirement, something he said he seriously pondered before reporting for training camp in late July.

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© Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wis Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur and quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) stand arm in arm late in the fourth quarter against the Washington Football Team during their football game Sunday, October 24, 2021, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Well, winning, he recognized Tuesday on "The Pat McAfee Show," contributes to his mood. The Packers are on a six-game winning streak since their season-opening blowout loss to New Orleans on Sept. 12.

"Obviously winning cures a lot of that," Rodgers said.

Having your best friend in the league — Randall Cobb — back on the team does as well, Rodgers said. He'll likely rely on Cobb even more with Davante Adams and Allen Lazard both on the COVID-19 list ahead of the Packers' prime-time showdown Thursday with the 7-0 Arizona Cardinals on the road.

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And being around your other buddy and golf cart companion, David Bakhtiari, who could soon be blocking for No. 12 after nearly a year out of action, helps as well, Rodgers acknowledged.

Plus, Rodgers said he has "a great coaching staff that I love" and "I’m still in Green Bay and having the time of my life."

"Life is about perspective and I’m just daily counting the blessings that I have in life and just have so much gratitude for these moments and for the fact that I’m 37, I’m still playing, still playing at a high level and still get to have fun moments each week, including on this show," he said Tuesday to McAfee and co-host A.J. Hawk, a former teammate and close friend of Rodgers'.

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Another quarterback who continues to defy the odds is Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady, who at 44 years old said he has "softened up" regarding the weather after leaving New England to play in the Sunshine State.

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Brady was a guest on the "Monday Night Football" Manningcast this week and said he's a warm-weather quarterback now.

Not Rodgers.

“I enjoy being a cold-weather quarterback in Green Bay," Rodgers said Tuesday. "When the weather changes and the leaves start coming off the trees, I get a little twinkle in my eye because I know football season is about to really start.”

Given this positivity, McAfee wondered if Rodgers is more happy than ever.

"I love football, I’m invested completely in this season. I am. I know it’s surprising," Rodgers said with a laugh, a dig at those who questioned his commitment to the team early in the season. "Life’s been really good. ... It's been fun to have some new guys in the mix, new teammates, get to know some of the older ones a little bit better, to build those friendships. It's been great to work with the staff. I love the staff. They make things fun. They reinvent themselves every week."

And after that 38-3 loss to New Orleans in Week 1, Rodgers said the team "stuck together" and has improved in all three phases.

"It’s a game. You got to have fun with it," Rodgers said. "You got to enjoy it."

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But what he still doesn't enjoy is the NFL rule that requires players to stay in a hotel the night before a home game, particularly when he's dealing with a back issue and doesn't get to sleep in his own bed.

"The antiquated procedure of staying at a hotel the night before a game, I’ve never been a fan of that," Rodgers said Tuesday, adding to the comments he made in Sunday's post-game news conference. "That makes no sense to me. I don’t know what type of science there is that can justify that.

"Now, look, 20 years ago, maybe before camera phones if you're really worried, you got a team, maybe was a little squirrely and likes to go out and party, maybe you’d be worried about guys going out the night before a game. But I mean, this is 2021, there's a camera phone everywhere. Nobody's going out anywhere. They just want to sleep in their own bed. Nobody's out there (drinking) at the bar, hanging out with A.J. (Hawk), pouring out drinks like he used to back in the day on Friday nights. Nobody's doing that anymore."

This article originally appeared on Packers News: Aaron Rodgers: I'm 'having the time of my life' with Green Bay Packers