3 pregame Aaron Rodgers quotes that aged like moldy cheese after loss to Vikings
1. On NFC North teams believing “this is our year”: It “hasn’t really been the case”
Rodgers talks a big game, but he has years of experience to back it up. And in that experience, Rodgers has been the one bullying the NFC North rather than the other way around: he’s only lost the division thrice since winning the Super Bowl in 2011.
Still, no quarterback is infallible, which is why seeing Rodgers’ condescending comments build to a crescendo makes his Week 1 collapse that much more satisfying.
Four days before his 2022 debut, Rodgers essentially mocked the idea that anyone besides the Packers could win the NFC North. The fact that other NFC North teams and their fanbases have hope and believe the current year will finally be theirs was an amusing thought for Rodgers.
Aaron Rodgers in the locker room today:
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) September 7, 2022
"All the other teams in the NFC North, it seems like every single year, I think their fanbase and their teams feel like, 'This is our year to win the North.'
"Hasn't really been the case during my time, for the most part."
It’s understandable that Rodgers would stroll into 2022 confidently — after all, he’s coming off two consecutive MVP seasons — but this comment had to ignite a spark in every divisional locker room. The Lions, Bears, and Vikings already have plenty of locker room fodder from Rodgers over the years, but laughing at the thought of them winning? Clearly it motivated the Vikings.
Today, Rodgers saw his first interception in a divisional game since 2019. The Vikings-Packers game could be a sign of the year to come for the Packers — their offense is starkly different than last season. And so too is every NFC North team, with massive changes to the Vikings and Bears organizations.
Perhaps Rodgers is slowly losing his vice-like grip on NFC North ownership.
Watch: Aaron Rodgers tried to block Za’Darius Smith and it didn’t go well. light. Must Read