While Aaron Rodgers took extra delight in beating the Jets back in Week 1, the Steelers quarterback has made it clear that the same energy doesn’t apply to Sunday’s game against the Packers, his other former team that he enjoyed a tremendous amount of success with during their 18-year partnership.
“I don’t have any animosity toward the organization,” Rodgers said. “Obviously, I wish that things have been better in our last year there, but I have a great relationship with a lot of people still in that organization, and this is not a revenge game for me. I’m just excited to see some of those guys and be on ‘Sunday Night Football.’”
Rodgers has a profound appreciation for his time in Green Bay and the things he and the Packers were able to accomplish. He does, however, wish that their time together had ended differently.
After the Packers drafted his eventual successor — Jordan Love — in 2020, Rodgers responded with back-to-back MVP seasons while playing elite level ball. You could argue that Rodgers’ play during that span was better than any quarterback in history, including his former teammate Brett Favre’s impeccable three-year run from 1995-97 that included three consecutive league MVP awards.
Rodgers’ success correlated to team success for the Packers, who won the NFC North both years as well as home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. In the playoffs, however, Green Bay suffered heartbreaking home playoff losses to the eventual champion Buccaneers and the 49ers (Rodgers’ childhood team), respectively.
In 2022, Rodgers played all year despite playing most of the year with a broken thumb in his right throwing hand. Despite Rodgers’ injury and a 5-8 record, the Packers won three straight games to put themselves in position to make the playoffs with a win over the visiting Lions in Week 18. The Lions won, however, eliminating the Packers from postseason contention…
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