Aaron Rodgers Can't Lose This Packers Legacy Game Against 49ers

Aaron Rodgers cares what you think about him. Yeah, you. I'm talking to you.

He wants you to like him. He wants you to care about him. He wants to be in your good graces. If that wasn't evident before this season, it should be after it. Let's not forget his COVID mea culpa. Or his Manning Cast appearance. Or his weekly appearances on the Pat McAfee show. Or his commercials.

He, like most elite athletes, is an egomaniac. Which is why these playoffs are so important to him. His legacy is on the line and Rodgers knows it. Win it all and you can place him squarely in the Top 3 quarterback conversation. Lose, especially against the 49ers on Sunday, and he'll further cement his reputation as the most talented quarterback who couldn't get it done on the biggest stage.

No, his one Super bowl doesn't negate that fact. That underdog win is overshadowed by the multiple times he didn't win as a favorite.

This weekend, he's the favorite again. The Packers are 6-point home favorites against the 49ers at WynnBET Sportsbook, and Rodgers is 0-3 against the 49ers in the playoffs. In his career, he's just 11-9 in the playoffs, only made one Super Bowl, and is 1-4 in the Conference Championship.

That, as much as anything, is Rodgers' playoff legacy. He's gotten close several times, but he's only gotten it done once. Last year, Rodgers and the Packers was upset by Tom Brady and the Bucs in the NFC Championship. It reignited the conversation about his inability to win the NFC Championship.

That is why this year is so important. It could be Rodgers' last run with the Packers. Hell, even he's even said this could be his last year playing football in general. If he retires after another upset home loss, his legacy will be irrevocably harmed.

There's reason to believe Rodgers and the Packers can get it done. He's 5-3 at home in the playoffs, the Packers are an NFL-best 7-0 as home favorites this season, and Jimmy Garoppolo has a shoulder and finger injury. But despite that, plenty of people are picking the 49ers to upset the Packers, including our own betting experts Iain MacMillan and Reed Wallach.

I don't see it. He knows another upset home playoff loss would doom his legacy. He can't afford another one of those, especially not against an inferior quarterback. It's one thing to get upset by Tom Brady. It's another to get upset by Jimmy G.

Rodgers will come out swinging. He'll do everything he can to remind everyone of his greatness. He'll want to leave a good taste in your mouth because that matters to him. Legacy is important. Always has been. Always will be.

With perhaps one last chance to impact that legacy, Rodgers won't mess it up.