The Green Bay Packers shocked the NFL, their fans, and their future Hall of Fame quarterback when they traded up in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft to select Jordan Love. From the moment the pick was made, it was no secret that Green Bay had pegged Love to, someday, replace Aaron Rodgers as their starting quarterback.
To say that Rodgers was displeased would be a massive understatement. The pick both infuriated and motivated him as he went on to win the next two NFL MVP Awards after the Packers drafted his successor.
The divorce between Rodgers and the Packers was long and drawn-out, each party knowing that the end was coming. Of course, that end came when Green Bay traded him to the New York Jets prior to the 2023 NFL Draft.
Former Green Bay Packers Quarterback Aaron Rodgers Refused to Put Jordan Love Through What He Experience with Brett Favre
Recently, a new biography of the four-time NFL MVP entitled “Out of the Darkness: The Mystery of Aaron Rodgers” hit the shelves. In the book, it was revealed (to the surprise of no one) that Rodgers was not treated very kindly by his predecessor Brett Favre.
In an interview with Fox News, the author of the book, Ian O’Connor, said, “(Rodgers) treated [Love] a lot better than he got treated by Brett Favre, that’s for sure. And I think Jordan Love really appreciated that, and Aaron understood what it felt like to be in that position.
“He was hellbent on not doing the same thing to Jordan.”
For what it is worth, Favre does not remember it quite that way. He told Zach Gelb, “No, I thought we had a great relationship, to be honest with you. I felt like we had a great relationship. We watched a lot of film together and you know we didn’t hang out. I was quite a bit older than him, I went home to Deanna [Favre’s wife] and the girls. We played golf together. Anytime that he, you know, he would ask ‘hey do you mind if I watch extra film with you?’ I had no problems with it.”
O’Connor explains in his book that Rodgers and Favre seem have bonded more in the last year or so due to their shared experiences of being let go by the Packers before either of them were ready. Of course, both quarterbacks played a major role in their departures.
Favre teased retirement over and over again, which is why the Packers drafted Rodgers in the first place. In fact, Rodgers became Green Bay’s starter after Favre retired following the 2007 season. It was not until he decided he wanted to come back that he was traded by the Packers in favor of Rodgers.
As for Rodgers, he stopped answering calls from general manager Brian Gutekunst. Later, he blamed it on having poor cell service at his house in California.
Love, of course, was incredibly successful in his first season as the Packers’ starter. He had a 64.2% completion percentage for 4,159 yards, 32 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, and a 96.1 passer rating. It was actually a better season than either Rodgers or Favre had in their first seasons as Green Bay’s starting quarterback:
| Quarterback | Completion % | Yards | Touchdowns | Interceptions | Passer Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jordan Love | 64.2% | 4,159 | 32 | 11 | 96.1 |
| Aaron Rodgers | 63.6% | 4,038 | 28 | 13 | 93.8 |
| Brett Favre | 64.1% | 3,227 | 18 | 13 | 85.3 |
To be sure, Love has worked incredibly hard to become the high-level of player that he is today. That being said, he (like every player) has benefited from help throughout his growing process.
On Wednesday, he sat down with Jim Rome to explain how Rodgers helped and taught him during his three seasons as his protege:
“Aaron was a huge asset. You know, I’m very grateful for my time, just being in the room with Aaron, being able to go out there on the practice field and watch him, watch him work every day and just how he handles his business,” Love said.
“But, no, Aaron was great to me. You know, every day we’d sit in the quarterback room together and we’d watch film together, and he’d throw me little bits and pieces and just little tidbits that I can, you know, write in my notes and learn from and see things that he’s doing.
“See him checking the plays, why he’s checking, what he’s seeing from the defense, just all those little pointers that, you know, if I wasn’t in the room with him, I probably wouldn’t even know to this day.”
This description of how Rodgers taught and helped Love during their three seasons together is in stark contrast to the comments made by an anonymous NFL agent who said that the four-time NFL MVP has brought terribles vibes to the Jets’ locker room.
If Rodgers was truly a terrible teammate, Love would probably have much different stories to tell than the one he told Rome.
