Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers doesn’t view Sunday night’s game against the Green Bay Packers as “rematch.”
Allow us to doubt it, although he views his retirement as if he were with the team. “I was there 18 years,” Rodgers said of his time in Green Bay. “It doesn’t matter when I hang it up, it’s the main thing for my career. I’ll retire as a Packer and we’ll see what happens next.
“I have no animosity toward the organization,” he said. “Obviously, I wish things had gone better in my last year there, but I still have great relationships with a lot of people that are part of this organization, and this is not a revenge match for me. I’m just looking forward to seeing some of these guys and being on Sunday Night Football again. »
Rodgers held the starting position in Green Bay for 15 seasons before his departure to the New York Jets in April 2023. Rogers’ departure allowed Jordan Love, selected in the first round of the 2020 draft, to become the Packers’ new confidence man.
Rodgers last played with the Packers in 2022. He was traded to the New York Jets in 2023. After two seasons in New York, he signed with the Steelers. Sunday’s game will be Rodgers’ first against his former team.
Rodgers said, however, that while there are similarities between his and Love’s situations and that which occurred with Brett Favre at the time, this meeting between the old and the new is not as tense as the one which took place in 2009. That season, Favre, then a member of the Minnesota Vikings, faced the Packers at the Metrodome in Week 4 of activities.
“Brett was traded and then he went to one of our most hated rivals,” Rodgers said to explain the difference. “I spent two years in New Jersey. »
After beating the Jets, with whom he spent two dismal, injury-plagued seasons, Rodgers said it was “nice” to beat one of his former teams, but that it “had nothing to do with how he would feel playing Green Bay, because that was 18 years of my career.”
On Wednesday, Rodgers made it clear those feelings would be different if Sunday night’s game was not played at Acrisure Stadium.
“It would be different if I went back to Green Bay,” said Rodgers, who won a Super Bowl with the Packers after the 2010 season. “I really like this organization, but if we played Lambeau, it would definitely be a little different. »
Coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday that he doesn’t expect Rodgers to approach this game any differently than other games this season.
Rodgers said he’s still in touch with Love, and even exchanged a few text messages with him early in the season, because the Steelers and Packers had common opponents.
“He’s a great guy,” Rodgers said. Really. I enjoyed the time spent with him. I’m not surprised by the way he plays. He plays very well. His progression was similar to mine, where in the first year, you take your first steps. The second year, you feel a little more confident. And by the third year, we’re ready to play. »
In Green Bay, Love told reporters Wednesday that he exchanged text messages with Rodgers a few weeks ago.
“A-Rod texted me to tell me about some of the things we had done and my footwork, among other things, and to congratulate me. It’s obviously great to hear from him. I have a lot of respect for him, and whenever he gives me advice, I obviously appreciate the comments from such a legend,” he said.
Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Wednesday that Rodgers “was great” with Love when they were both in Green Bay.
“He’s done a great job supporting him, trying to give him advice all the time, and I think Jordan has leaned on that, and with his mastery of our offense and the protection schemes that we use, I think it’s been great for both of them,” he said.
Since signing a one-year contract with the Steelers in May after a lengthy period of negotiations as a free agent, Rodgers has become appreciated by the organization and his new teammates. He invited offensive linemen and other quarterbacks to join him in a box at PNC Arena to watch the Penguins beat the Vancouver Canucks 5-1 on Tuesday night. He was also joined by former Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel. After Wednesday’s practice, Rodgers expressed his gratitude to the Steelers as an organization and to the city as a sports-loving city, and noted the similarities with his former team.
“There are only a few franchises like this in the league,” Rodgers said. “The Packers have obviously been around for over 100 years, and the Steelers have been around for a long time. We have a great history. It’s a very sporty city. We were at the hockey game last night, so I saw Sid [Sidney Crosby] score a goal. Sid, Tang [Kris Letang] and Gino [Evgeni Malkin] have all been with the team for 21 years, I think, which is incredible. I’m in my 21st season, so I know how difficult it is to stay as long as these guys. There is something special about this connection. »
