NFL: Like Brady, Rodgers wants to play into his 40s, with one caveat

With New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady celebrating his 40th birthday on Thursday, conversation at the Green Bay Packers camp turned to what Aaron Rodgers may be doing when he turns The Big Four-Oh.

Playing American football for the Packers, Rodgers said is his hope.

"I do think it's realistic. I hope it's in this locker room, though," Rodgers, who turns 34 in December, said via Packers.com.

"That would mean it's been at a high level."

While this is not the first time Rodgers has said he wants to play into his 40s, the key to Thursday's comments are that it is important to him that he still be a Packer if his career does last that long.

While he watched Brett Favre shuffled out of town as he took over QB duties in Green Bay, Rodgers' sentiment goes beyond the fate of his former team-mate.

"I don't just think it's 2008," Rodgers said. "It's being a sports fan and watching some of my favourite all-time players either not finish in the place they started — or the place you fell in love watching them play — or they did. And seeing how different the memory is of those players as a fan."

In other words, he sees himself as a Derek Jeter, Kobe Bryant or Tim Duncan, who retired on teams with which they won multiple championships, not a Favre, Joe Montana or Michael Jordan, whose careers ended in relatively inglorious fashions.

"Doing it their entire career at one place, I just think it's pretty special," Rodgers said. "Again, I'm a realist as well. I have to play well, the team has to want to bring me back. But obviously I’d like to finish things here where we started."