Aaron Rodgers has, for the most part, been quite productive for the Steelers this season. Even in Pittsburgh's disappointing Thursday night loss to the Cincinnati Bengals just last week, Rodgers was far from the problem. He had four touchdowns and a couple of turnovers, one of which can hardly be blamed on him. The Steelers strategy has been to force the ball out of Rodgers' hands to receivers in space. As of this writing, he's on pace for 40 touchdown passes and a 105 overall passer rating, per Tommy Jaggi of Still Curtain. Unfortunately for Rodgers and the Steelers, the schedule is about to get a lot tougher, including a revenge game against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday night.
Rodgers is the most obvious storyline for this game, because how could he not be? The future Packers Hall of Famer will be remembered for his time in Green Bay, rather than his brief cameos in New York and now Pittsburgh. But to get an idea of exactly how he feels ahead of his timely reunion, we must first take a look back at what he said when leaving the Packers – and his revenge match against the Jets earlier this season.
Why Aaron Rodgers 'left' the Packers in the first place
To suggest it was Rodgers decision to leave the Packers would be, well, false. Deep inside, even the 41-year-old must know this, but that doesn't mean he hasn't convinced himself otherwise. When Rodgers left Green Bay (was traded away, mind you), he penned a heartfelt letter to the fanbase and his former teammates. His words for the Packers front office were sharper and harsher, as Rodgers was essentially replaced by Jordan Love and jettisoned to a football purgatory of his own choosing in New Jersey.
“The Packers would like to move on,” Rodgers said. “They’ve let me know that in so many words. They’ve let other people know that in direct words. Because I still have that fire, and I want to play, and I would like to play in New York, it’s just a matter of getting that done at this point.”
“My life is better because of my time in Green Bay. But we’ve just got to look at the reality. They want to move on. They don’t want me to come back, and that’s fine. They’re ready to move on with Jordan. That’s awesome," Rodgers continued back in 2023.
Rodgers was nothing but complimentary of Love, who he has maintained a relationship with ever since. But it doesn't take a wordsmith to read between the lines of his Packers commentary. Rodgers didn't want to burn bridges – even he understood at the time that he only has a few years left playing pro football – but he would've rather remained a Packer. He isn't the first or last NFL player to feel that way, having spent decades with one team. A win on Sunday night would mean a lot to him, and if you don't believe me, just look at how he reacted after defeating the Jets, a team he spent little more than two seasons with.
Aaron Rodgers didn't hold back after beating the Jets
Rodgers' first game with the Steelers came against the Jets in Week 1. The future Hall of Famer played extremely well in that game, throwing four touchdowns to no interceptions, and providing Steelers fans the first ounce of hope they've had at the quarterback position since Ben Roethlisberger retired. When asked if playing the Jets gave him some extra motivation, Rodgers gave the coldest response he's had in awhile.
“I was happy to beat everybody associated with the Jets," Rodgers said.
Now, to be fair, the Jets had Rodgers fly from California to their complex in Jersey just to break up to his face. They did so with a new head coach, Aaron Glenn, who seemed determined to clean out a house of horrors. The Jets haven't won a game since. Rodgers relationship with the Packers should be a bit better at this juncture, but great quarterbacks always use every ounce of motivation provided to them. With that being said...
Matt LaFleur's first take on facing Aaron Rodgers was the wrong one
LaFleur coached Rodgers from 2019 until he was eventually dealt to New York. While Rodgers was with the Packers, the pair got along well enough, with the four-time NFL MVP winning two of those awards under LaFleur's guidance. Now that the week is upon us, LaFleur and the Packers (including Love) will undoubtedly be asked about Rodgers several times over. LaFleur's first and perhaps most revealing comment could come back to haunt him.
"We're playing the Pittsburgh Steelers who happen to have Aaron Rodgers ... We had a lot of great moemnts in our past, but this game is not about that," LaFleur said on Monday. "I dont know if many of these guys played with him. There's a few guys, but... that's for you guys."
It's LaFleur's job to get his team ready to play the Steelers, so he's right about that point. However, to downplay the importance of this game – even for Rodgers specifically – plays right into his hand. That might not be a fair assessment for most games, but again, this isn't most games. Rodgers spent the better part of two decades in Green Bay. To simplify his importance as 'memories of our past' is a little harsh, and gives Rodgers exactly what he's been seeking for ever since he left the Packers.
Football isn't fair, and this is how Rodgers mind works. We witnessed it in the Meadowlands. A repeat performance against the Packers would be the stuff of legend, which is exactly what Rodgers is – albeit one who needs to be treated with kid gloves.