PITTSBURGH — Aaron Rodgers got it right when, in the days leading up to Sunday night’s meeting between his old team, the Green Bay Packers, and his current team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, he said, “This is not a revenge game for me.”
Three years removed from his last season in Packers green and gold, the future Hall of Famer offered no cold shoulders or steely stares toward former teammates and coaches. Three hours before kickoff, Rodgers instead caught up with his old comrades — players with whom he had broken bread countless times, alongside whom he had battled and bled; coaches responsible for positioning him for success; trainers and support staff members who had spent years tending to his battered body.
Sunday night had the feel of a reunion — a class reunion, where you run into your high school sweetheart and you’re happy to reconnect and reminisce on good times. You appreciate that chapter in your life, but you also know you’re better off having gone your separate ways.
For the Packers, who rolled to a 35-25 victory over Rodgers and the Steelers, the win served as yet another reminder that they made the right decision when they entrusted the franchise to Jordan Love in the offseason of 2023, after watching the young quarterback develop behind Rodgers for three years.
Rodgers, meanwhile, provided moments that affirmed that even at 41, he still has some left in the tank and a few tricks up his sleeve. After two years mired in misfortune and dysfunction with the New York Jets, he has rebounded nicely with a franchise that, although imperfect, offers stability similar to what he enjoyed for 18 seasons in Green Bay and a shot at contention.
Yeah, the Packers and Rodgers are right where they belong and each party wishes the other well, because football is family, even after paths diverge.
“This game is about relationships,” Rodgers explained after the game before rattling off a list of Green Bay staffers he enjoyed reconnecting with and adding, “Those friendships are special, and it was good to see those guys.”
Make no mistake, Rodgers wanted to win in the worst way. Not to stick it to the Packers, but because he’s a fierce competitor and knew how much the Steelers would have benefited from a win over a quality opponent like Green Bay, which now owns a 5-1-1 record — one of the best in the league.
But Rodgers and the Steelers had far too many stalled drives, having to settle for field goals four times, and way too many misses on third downs (Pittsburgh converted just one of 10 for first downs, and went 0-for-5 in that department in the second half).
“Disappointed,” Rodgers said, explaining his emotions after the game. “Disappointed that I didn’t play better, that we didn’t play better, especially in the second half.”
In the first half, Rodgers certainly put pressure on his former teammates. A time or two, he scooted out of harm’s way and delivered downfield throws and let pass rushers like Rashan Gary hear about it. “He was like, ‘I’m still moving good at 41. You’ve gotta come get me,’” Gary recalled. “I said, ‘You’re right. I’m coming.’”
Gary, Rodgers’ teammate of four years in Green Bay, did sack the quarterback once in the first half and again in the second half. New addition Micah Parsons sacked Rodgers once in the second half, and for the game, the Packers registered five additional hits. In general, things started to click for the Packers in the second half and go south for the Steelers.
While Love completed 20 straight second-half passes (a career-best streak) and moved his team up and down the field before finishing with 360 passing yards and three touchdowns, Rodgers struggled to operate out of third-and-long situations caused by penalties and/or protection breakdowns. Rodgers couldn’t put his team on his back and will them to victory, and didn’t record his second touchdown pass until 2:07 remained in the game.
Aaron Rodgers completed 24 of 36 passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns. (Joe Sargent / Getty Images)
The Packers were the better team, and Rodgers had no problem admitting that. At game’s end, the first player he sought out was his former understudy, Love. In the news conference afterwards, he said, “I thought J-Love played great. He was super efficient. He didn’t get sacked and moved around really well, made some plays outside the pocket. Thought he played outstanding.”
The Packers agreed.
“Jordan Love was doing Jordan Love things,” Gary said, “And I don’t expect nothing less. When the lights are bright and seeing how he works throughout the week and how he’s focused and paying attention to the details, you see him come out and have games like this and it’s not a surprise.”
As Love has come of age, he has grown into the player Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst and coach Matt LaFleur envisioned when they tied their futures to him. As one of the league leaders in completion percentage and passer rating, he gives Green Bay a chance to contend in a wide-open NFC.
The sun clearly is setting on Rodgers’ career, but he does serve as a symbol of hope for the Steelers. He gives them a chance. Coach Mike Tomlin and his staff just have to figure out how to better support the aging quarterback. If the Steelers can execute with greater consistency on defense and shore up their protection issues, winning the AFC North for the first time since 2020 remains a realistic goal, and if Rodgers can make it to the postseason, where experience in those high-pressure situations certainly matters, there’s no telling how things could play out.
Yes, there’s plenty of work left to do in Pittsburgh, as Sunday night’s loss showed, but a fighting chance is all Rodgers can ask for at this stage of his career. And it’s why he can tip the cap to Love and exchange bear hugs with LaFleur and others while also maintaining appreciation and hope about his current situation.