Aaron Rodgers stressed that it won’t be a grudge match when he faces the visiting Green Bay Packers on Sunday night for the first time since his departure from the team after the 2022 season.
Now with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Rodgers didn’t leave on good terms, but the quarterback said Wednesday that the hard feelings are a thing of the past.
“I don’t have any animosity toward the organization,” Rodgers said Wednesday. “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.”
Once Green Bay drafted Jordan Love in the first round of the 2020 draft — a pick Rodgers was unhappy with — the future Hall of Famer realized his time with the Packers was coming to an end.
Love is proving to be a stellar pick, while Rodgers has bounced around to the New York Jets for two seasons — the first ended by a Week 1 Achilles injury — and is now over with the Steelers.
Rodgers, 41, fondly reflected on his 18 seasons in Green Bay Wednesday. It wasn’t his four MVP awards he wanted to discuss, but rather that he grew up in Wisconsin.
“We’re always working on ourselves and trying to be better than we were the previous day, the previous months, the previous year,” Rodgers said. “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. Living in Green Bay, living in Suamico, living in Hobart. Going to Chives, being out and about, seeing people at the Piggly Wiggly when I’m shopping for groceries. I grew up there. I spent 18 years there from 21 to 39, so I’m thankful for my time there.
“Obviously, would’ve 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. It was a matter of time. I happened to win MVP the first two years he was with us, but I knew at some point there’d be a change and if I wanted to play it’d have to be elsewhere. So, I understand the situation.”
The Packers made the playoffs 11 times — winning the Super Bowl following the 2010 regular season — during Rodgers’ 15 seasons as a starter. He tossed 475 regular-season touchdown passes with Green Bay and his career total sits at 517 entering Sunday.
Like Rodgers, Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur is downplaying the first meeting between Rodgers and the Packers.
“We’re playing the Pittsburgh Steelers, who happen to have Aaron Rodgers,” LaFleur said. “It’s as simple as that. That is for you guys to talk about. Granted, I mean, we’ve got a lot of love and respect for Aaron. What he’s done here, I mean, he’s a Hall of Famer. And I know like our past together, we had a lot of great moments, but this game is not about that.”
Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin hasn’t seen an increased focus or signs of extra intensity at mid-week.
“Aaron has been at it a long time,” Tomlin said. “He’s got an awesome relationship with this game. I haven’t been with him for a long time, but he’s been fired up every single week. I imagine it’s going to be the same.
“I imagine some external things are going to make more out of it than it is for him. He’s playing and playing to win. That’s what he does. That’s kind of my perspective on it.”
Rodgers has played solidly for the Steelers this season, completing 68.6 percent of his passes for 1,270 yards, 14 touchdowns and five interceptions.
