Aaron Rodgers will be playing against the Green Bay Packers for the first time in his career on Sunday, and he has some thoughts about it.
Back in 2023, the organization was looking to begin a new era after finishing 8-9 the previous season. The highlight of the ensuing revamp was trading away the multiple-time MVP to make way for 2020 first-round pick Jordan Love.
Two years later, he is now a Pittsburgh Steeler after his stint with the New York Jets went badly. Addressing the media on Wednesday, he dismissed the ever-popular “revenge game” notions:
“I don’t have any animosity toward the organization. Obviously, I wish that things had been better in our last year there. But I have a great relationship with a lot of people still in that organization. …I’m just excited to see some of those guys and be on Sunday Night Football again. I have a lot of great memories from my time there.”
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Rodgers also revealed that Love’s drafting was the “writing on the wall” that ultimately led to the collapse of his relationship with the Packers:
“Obviously, would have loved to ride off into the sunset after a Super Bowl win, but that’s not the way the league goes sometimes. …I knew at some point there would be a change, and if I wanted to play, it probably would have to be elsewhere. So, I understood the situation.”
Aaron Rodgers discusses being tackled by own lineman after touchdown
During his last game at the Cincinnati Bengals, Aaron Rodgers had a mixed performance, throwing four touchdowns, all to tight ends, against two interceptions. Half of them went to Pat Freiermuth, and after one of them, the quarterback was tackled from behind.
It did not come from a defender, however. Rather, it was his teammate, left tackle Broderick Jones, who was responsible. And it became a source of jokes within the locker room.
During the same media availability, Rodgers said:
“Brod is always the first one to come find me after a play. It could be a first big pass down to D.K. [Metcalf] on third down, he’s coming and dapping me up. What you don’t see after the video is he’s coming over to me and shaking me.”
He also revealed that he had texted Jones not to do it again:
Kickoff for the Steelers-Packers game is at 8:20 pm ET on NBC.