GREEN BAY, Wis. -- The words "beautiful mystery" have hung over the Green Bay Packers for the past 12 months, ever since Aaron Rodgers used them to describe his future with the franchise. But there was nothing beautiful about what happened here Saturday night. And shoot, the next chapter in the mystery wasn't supposed to start for at least another week, preferably three.
The postgame scene showed a downcast Rodgers trudging off the field at Lambeau for what might be the last time, shaking a hand or two as he made his way through celebrating San Francisco 49ers while a light snow fell on a crowd of Packers fans who couldn't believe what had just happened.