Aaron Rodgers was very clear in stating that the matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Packers is not a revenge game for him. When asked if the situation could be compared to 2009, when Brett Favre faced Green Bay as a member of the Vikings, Rodgers didn’t hesitate to point out that there are no hard feelings toward his former team.
“No. I don’t. Brett got traded and then he went to one of the hated rivals. I was in New Jersey for a couple of years. 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. This is not a revenge game for me. I’m just excited to see some of those guys again.”
Given the anticipation of seeing Rodgers play against the franchise he led to a Super Bowl, the Sunday Night Football game has generated a lot of buzz in a season that, based on how the schedule was set up, many experts viewed as a revenge tour for Aaron. He already defeated another former team (the Jets), beat a team that once showed interest in him (the Vikings), and still has upcoming matchups against the Packers and two other major rivals from his career: the Bears and the Lions.
Why did Aaron Rodgers leave the Green Bay Packers?
Aaron Rodgers left the Packers because the team believed that, in 2023, it was time to start a new chapter with Jordan Love as the starting quarterback. As a result, the veteran was traded to the New York Jets, even though he would have liked to finish his career in Green Bay.
Now, Rodgers is taking full advantage of a final opportunity to revamp his career alongside Mike Tomlin and the Steelers. He admits that it is a great privilege to have been able to represent two of the most important franchises in the NFL.
“There’s only a few of those kind of cornerstone franchises in the league. The Packers obviously have been around for 100 years. The Steelers have been around for a long time. We’ve got a great history. It’s a great sports town. It’s fun to be a part of this organization and the iconic Packers organization for so long too.”