GREEN BAY — The “journey of self-actualization,” as Aaron Rodgers has taken to calling it, did not begin in the mountains of Peru.
That offseason trip, to see the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu, was crucial, to be sure. But the Green Bay Packers quarterback had started down this path even before he ascended the legendary mountains, before his Argo-esque last-minute escape as the country went into lockdown amid the rapidly spreading COVID-19 pandemic.
The journey continued as he arrived back home in southern California, carrying him through a trip to the pantry to pour himself a tall glass of tequila the night of the NFL draft, through a 40-minute phone call with reporters a few days later from the parking lot of a suburban Los Angeles Bed Bath & Beyond that he looks back on as a test of his commitment to meaningful change, through an offseason program during which he bonded with his coaches and achieved a thorough understanding of the Packers’ redeveloped offensive scheme, through a topsy-turvy, protocol-restricted uncertain regular season during which he found his voice and rediscovered his greatness, through a year in which he managed to grow closer to his teammates while socially distanced from them.