Star quarterback Aaron Rodgers exits ‘dark slump’

Some athletes use the downtime for a beach vacation or training sessions.

Star quarterback Aaron Rodgers took a different approach, emerging this week from four days in a small underground room devoid of natural light.

The owner of Sky Cave Retreats told US sports network ESPN that Mr. Rodgers stayed in a 300-square-foot (28 square metre) space — slightly smaller than the average American hotel room.

It has a queen bed, a bathroom and a meditation mat on the floor.

Despite the lack of sunlight, owner Scott Berman told the network that the room is equipped with lights that can be turned on, along with a queen bed, bathroom, and meditation rug. Guests can come and go and tour the surrounding woods in southern Oregon.

Mr. Berman says he checks on guests once a day, and his darkrooms are steadily booked for the next 18 months.

Such retreats are listed online for as much as $1,400 (£1,160) per week.

There was speculation that the 39-year-old Rodgers, who played 18 seasons with the Packers and won one Super Bowl, would retire or be traded to another team.

He hasn’t confirmed if he wants to continue playing, but before going to the resort, he explained his reasons on the podcast.

“I think we could all use a dose of turning off our phones once in a while and unplugging the community,” he told The Pat McAfee Show.

“It’s an opportunity to do some self-reflection in some solitude and after that, I feel like I’m going to be closer to that final decision,” he said. “I’ve had a number of friends who’ve done this and they’ve had profound experiences.”

Quarterbacks have a reputation for unorthodox, and sometimes controversial, views on health and wellness.

In 2020, he went to Peru after the NFL season to take ayahuasca.

He was the most prominent American football player who refused to receive a vaccine against Covid-19, and said at one point that he was “vaccinated” against the disease. He later said he had taken a weakened form of the virus by mouth but was allergic to an ingredient in some Covid vaccines.

In one interview he blamed the “woke mob” and “cancel culture” for creating controversy over his vaccination status.

In a 2017 interview, he said he supports civil liberties, human rights, and addressing climate change, and defended NFL players who took a knee to protest racial injustice.

On the field, Rodgers was voted the league’s Most Valuable Player in 2020 and 2021, but had a relatively disappointing year in 2022, as the Packers failed to make the NFL playoffs.