Aaron Rodgers looked gutted in a brief postgame handshake with Tom Brady after the Packers blew a shot at the Super Bowl

• Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers blew several chances to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and make the Super Bowl.
• Rodgers looked gutted in a postgame handshake with Brady, telling him only to take care during a brief interaction.
• The loss is extra tough for Rodgers as he is 37, the presumptive MVP, and the Packers had the home-field advantage.

Aaron Rodgers didn't appear to be in any mood to linger on the field after the Green Bay Packers' loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Championship on Sunday.

Rodgers and the Packers came up short, losing 31-26, despite several chances to win or tie the game.

The Packers intercepted Brady three times in the second half but only turned it into seven points.

More importantly, with 2:05 left in the game, the Packers kicked a field goal on 4th-and-goal while down eight points, opting not to let Aaron Rodgers try and even the game with a score and 2-point conversion. They didn't get the ball back, and Tom Brady made his 10th career Super Bowl.

After the game, Brady and Rodgers met at midfield to hug, as quarterbacks do. However, the handshake was brief as Rodgers simply told Brady to "take care" before the two parted ways.

—Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) January 24, 2021

Rodgers looked gutted:

The brief exchange is noteworthy, as Brady and Rodgers are friendly. The two have often spoken openly about how they admire each other, and Rodgers has admitted that he has followed Brady's tips for longevity in the NFL.

Still, the loss has to be one of the toughest in Rodgers' career. Rodgers is the presumptive MVP after one of the best seasons of his career. The Packers won the NFC in the regular season and won home-field advantage through the playoffs, something Rodgers said they needed to do after losing last year's NFC Championship in San Francisco.

The window is also closing for Rodgers, something he also admitted after last season. Rodgers is 37, and the Packers drafted his replacement this past May.

The Packers also have many free agents this offseason, meaning they may not return much of this year's 13-3 squad.