Aaron Rodgers has plenty of reason to believe his Packers will finish off an unlikely run to the postseason.
Going from 4-8 to 9-8 is no easy task, but Green Bay can do so with a win over the Detroit Lions on Sunday night. History is on Rodgers' side, too: He's 5-0 in win-and-in games in his career.
Bright skies aside, the 2022 season will come to an end at some point, with the range beginning this weekend and ending in Glendale, Arizona, with Super Bowl LVII. In order to keep this season alive, Rodgers will need to score another of his many wins at Lambeau Field.
He knows there is a chance it could be his last.
"I mean, for sure, just because you don't know what the future holds," Rodgers said Wednesday, via the Wisconsin State Journal. "But when I think about that, it's nothing but gratitude. Not remorse or sadness, just gratitude for the time that I've been here, the amazing memories that I've had on this field.
"(There's) been a lot of great moments, but (I'm) still undecided (about next season). We're all undecided about the future. (I'm) just going to enjoy Sunday night and hopefully have some more to play for."
It's been a month of optimism for Rodgers, who has transformed from a grumpy quarterback to a cheery, veteran leader whose belief in his team is visible in his expression. He's been noticeably sunny in postgame interviews, shaking off external doubters with a simple "we'll see" response.
Such a run would make for quite a story. But Rodgers is also at the age where this has become an annual exercise.
At one point, Rodgers could use this end-of-year narrative as leverage to force the Packers to act with urgency. It didn't land him a first-round weapon in years past, and Green Bay's decision to spend a top pick on his eventual replacement didn't help matters much.
That's all behind both Rodgers and the Packers now, though. Thanks to a new contract, the return of Randall Cobb in 2021 and the blossoming of rookie Christian Watson (and the visible potential of fellow rookie Romeo Doubs), the Packers are back on track at just the right time.
Rodgers isn't guaranteeing anything beyond the 2022 season, which has entered the new year. He's focused on nothing more than Sunday, when he hopes to keep the Packers' once-unlikely run alive.
"I'm (still) going to take some time after the season," Rodgers said. "I've got a lot of great memories here at Lambeau -- and hopefully can add another one on Sunday."
