Aaron Rodgers will face the Green Bay Packers for the first time since his departure in 2023 on Sunday when the Pittsburgh Steelers face his old team on Sunday Night Football.
While his exit, which came in the form of what proved an ill-fated trade to the New York Jets, was not the ending to his storied Packers career that Rodgers would have desired, he insisted he has no hard feelings towards Green Bay.
Indeed, Rodgers moved to dismiss talk of the primetime matchup being a ‘revenge game’ on Wednesday, with the four-time MVP relishing the opportunity to face his old friends on a national stage
“I don’t have any animosity toward the organization,” Rodgers told reporters.
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“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.
This is not a revenge game for me. I’m just excited to see some of those guys and be on Sunday Night Football again.”
I knew the writing was on the wall
Rodgers’ relationship with the Packers soured after they traded up in the 2020 draft to take Jordan Love in the first round.
His agent requested Rodgers be traded from the Packers in 2021, but he played two more seasons before bidding farewell following a disappointing 2022 campaign.
Asked if he had to work to get to a place where he no longer felt animosity, Rodgers replied: “Absence makes the heart grow fonder maybe.
“I have a lot of great memories from my time there. A lot of great interactions with fans over the years.
“I grew up there, I spent 18 years there, from 21 to 39. I’m thankful for my time there.
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“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 the writing was on the wall when Jordan was picked and it was a matter of time.
“I happened to win MVP for the first two years he was with us, but I knew at some point there would be a change and if I wanted to play it would probably have to be elsewhere.”
Now Rodgers gets a chance to play against Love and the Packers. While there might be much animosity, the duel between Rodgers and man who succeeded him promises to be a fascinating one.
