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          Less golf means more time for Aaron Rodgers to get in 'the best shape'

          Aaron Rodgers said he feels like he's in the best shape of his life heading into the offseason program. AP Photo/Mike Roemer
          • Rob Demovsky, ESPN Staff WriterApr 18, 2017, 06:45 PM
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              Rob Demovsky is an NFL reporter at ESPN and covers the Green Bay Packers. He has covered the Packers since 1997 and joined ESPN in 2013. Demovsky is a two-time Wisconsin Sportswriter of the Year as selected by the NSSA. You can follow him on Twitter at @RobDemovsky.
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          GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Last year, it was cheese (and other dairy products). This year, Aaron Rodgers has cut back on his golf.

          The Green Bay Packers quarterback made both decisions with one thing in mind: to make sure he’s in the best condition possible to play at his peak level for as long as possible.

          Rodgers on Tuesday said he hit his target weight -- under 220 pounds -- when the Packers reported for the first day of their offseason workouts.

          “It’s fun to be 33 and feel like I’m in the best shape I’ve been in starting an offseason program,” Rodgers said. “So that’s exciting. That was kind of the goal I wanted to hit and just keeping moving forward in that direction.”

          It was in June of last year when Rodgers revealed the changes he made in his diet. He said at the time that he was at his lowest weight -- “218-ish” pounds, he said -- since 2007, when coach Mike McCarthy made him report for training camp at under 217.

          At this time last year, Rodgers was just three months removed from offseason knee surgery. He dealt with a nagging calf injury again late last season.

          “I feel great,” Rodgers said Tuesday. “I put a lot of work in this offseason. As much as I love golf, it’s kind of taken a back seat to my workouts, and I’m light as I’ve been I think ever coming back at this time of the year. Being under 220 was kind of a goal for me. I hit that goal to start, and now it’s continuing to build my body. But I feel really good. My knees feel great. My arm feels really good.”

          Rodgers didn’t completely cut golf out of his offseason. He played in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February but otherwise maintained his diet and exercise routine from last year.

          “There’s always little tweaks, but the key for me is really that diet and trying to continue to be smart about what I’m eating and how it affects my performance even in the offseason,” Rodgers said. “And then recovery is huge, too. It’s going to take a little bit as I get readjusted to the Central Time Zone. Being out on the West Coast and then being out on the East Coast last weekend for Randall [Cobb's] wedding, but sleep’s very important to my routine as well.”