Packers Face Aaron Rodgers for the First Time Since Trade in Emotional Steelers Matchup

There will be a lot of emotions present Sunday when the Green Bay Packers travel to Pittsburgh to face the Steelers and Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers and the Packers will meet for the first time since the Pack traded the future Hall of Famer to the Jets after the 2022 season. Rodgers spent 18 seasons in Green Bay and led the team to a Super Bowl win while earning league MVP honors four times. Now, the Packers will face Aaron Rodgers for the first time since the trade in an emotional matchup with the Steelers.

Packers Face Aaron Rodgers For the First Time in Emotional Steelers Matchup: The History

The entire situation creates a feeling a déjà vu. The Packers selected Rodgers in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft despite having future Hall of Famer Brett Favre on their roster. By 2008, Rodgers was the starter, and Favre was traded to the Jets.

Rodgers led the Packers to a Super Bowl title after the 2010 season and was named MVP of the game. He earned Pro Bowl honors 10 times and was named All Pro four times. He won the NFL MVP award four times and led the Packers to the playoffs 11 times including eight consecutive seasons from 2009-2016.

The Packers drafted Jordan Love in the first round in 2020 in a move that mirrored what happened with Rodgers 15 years earlier. After Love backed up Rodgers for three seasons, the Packers traded Rodgers to New York, following in the footsteps of Favre.

The relationship between Rodgers and the Packers front office soured after the team drafted Love. The quarterback started to demand more input into roster decisions and the team made some moves he wanted.

In his final season in Green Bay, Rodgers played with a broken thumb for much of the year. He also had his least effective season before being traded to the Jets.

Matt LaFleur Trying to Avoid Controversy

Earlier this week, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur tried to downplay the upcoming game against Rodgers. “We’re playing the Pittsburgh Steelers, who happen to have Aaron Rodgers,” he said.

Later in the week, the Packers coach did all he good to avoid bulletin board material. “He looks like he can still do anything,” LaFleur told reporters with a grin. “What’s surprising, for such an old man, he’s still moving around pretty good too. You’ve seen it in multiple games.”

He also discussed the challenge of facing a great quarterback like Rodgers who has seen every defensive wrinkle. “It’s really, really difficult,” LaFleur explained. “The best way to beat a quarterback is to get him on his back. Like I tell our guys all the time, it’s hard to throw when you’re on your back. Our pass rush is going to have to be on point, and we’ll have to do some things in terms of our coverages. And sometimes you have to hit in terms of what they’re calling vs. what you’re calling, and hopefully he has to hold the ball a little bit longer than he’d like, and you can win a matchup up front.”

Packers Face Aaron Rodgers For the First Time in Emotional Steelers Matchup: Rodgers Remains Ready

For his part, Rodgers also was trying to play down the significance facing the Packers for the first time. Few people doubt the competitive Rodgers will have extra incentive against his former team. But he also tried to prevent providing his opponents with extra incentive.

“I don’t have any animosity toward the [Packers] organization,” Rodgers claimed. “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.”

He also said time has healed some of the tension that existed when he was traded. “Absence makes the heart grow fonder, maybe,” Rodgers said.

Meanwhile, Love will be facing the quarterback who he has been compared to since the day he was selected by the Packers. Love and Rodgers had a good relationship according to all reports. Certainly better than the relationship between Favre and Rodgers 15 years earlier. While Love and Rodgers always got along, Love knows that a win against the Steelers and his former mentor would make a statement.

Of course, the only way to join Favre and Rodgers in Packers lore is to lead the team to a Super Bowl. His next obstacle in that process is to beat his former teammate.