Matt LaFleur knows that most eyes will be on Aaron Rodgers when the Green Bay Packers face their former quarterback in their visit to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. But the Packers head coach wants to keep that storyline aside, urging his players to focus on Mike Tomlin‘s entire team.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, LaFleur revealed his approach to this game. While he let A-Rod know how much they appreciate him in Green Bay, LaFleur said the Packers are focusing on the Steelers, not on a single player.
“We’re playing the Pittsburgh Steelers, who happen to have Aaron Rodgers. It’s as simple as that,” LaFleur said, via Packers Wire. “That’s for you guys to talk about. Granted, we’ve got a lot of love and respect for Aaron. What he’s done here, he’s a Hall of Famer.
“Our past together, we had a lot of great moments. But this game is not about that, it’s about going to Pittsburgh, Sunday Night Football, our guys will jacked up, their guys will be jacked up. It’s about the Green Bay Packers versus the Pittsburgh Steelers. It’s for you guys to talk about the other storylines.”
LaFleur’s history with Rodgers in Green Bay
LaFleur, 45, knows Rodgers better than most coaches in the NFL. While Tomlin is enjoying his first year coaching the 41-year-old, LaFleur overlapped with A-Rod from 2019 to 2022 and helped the quarterback find his best version.
Two of Rodgers’ four MVP awards came under LaFleur’s watch (2020 and 2021) before he requested for a trade to the New York Jets. The Packers had already prepared for a potential transition by drafting Jordan Love in 2020, so when Rodgers left, his successor was ready to step in.
While Love did great in Green Bay, the Jets didn’t turn out to be what Rodgers expected. He packed the bags after only two years in New York, revitalizing his career with a move to Pittsburgh this year. The Steelers might be the final team in Rodgers’ career, one that included 18 fruitful years with the Packers. But beyond the emotions that the upcoming game will bring, LaFleur wants to keep things professional.
“I’m going to talk about, just like we do every week, what is our blueprint and what are our keys to go to Pittsburgh, which is a damn good football team and a really tough hostile environment and try to play our best. Because we haven’t put forth our best to date,” LaFleur added.
Familiar faces clash on the national spotlight
The NFL couldn’t have chosen a better date for this highly anticipated game, designating the Steelers vs. Packers Week 8 showdown for “Sunday Night Football,” ensuring that an entire nation will tune in.
LaFleur’s Packers head into this game riding on a two-game winning streak as they lead the NFC North with a 4-1-1 record. The Steelers will be looking to bounce back at home after losing to division rivals Cincinnati Bengals in prime time.
Though Tomlin and company are still in control of the AFC North at 4-2, the Thursday night loss in Week 7 leaves them with a point to prove on Sunday. And since it’s against his former team, Rodgers may feel that way too.