For the first three years of his NFL career, Aaron Rodgers rode the bench. When the Green Bay Packers selected him in the 2005 NFL Draft, they had three-time league MVP Brett Favre as their starting quarterback.
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As a young college quarterback, Rodgers admired Favre. Their paths to prominence, from smaller-prestige football schools, were similar.
But, as his teammate, Rodgers never felt he could tell Favre how much he enjoyed watching him play. Ahead of this week’s New York Jets-Minnesota Vikings matchup, he reflected on the nature of their relationship in an interview with NFL Network’s Kyle Brandt:
“After [Joe] Montana and [Steve] Young retired and Barry Sanders retired, my favorite player was Brett Favre. And day one, I’m in the same locker room with him. But it’s kind of weird, when it’s your teammate, to be like ‘yo, bro’… and Brett, he’s so laid back… there wasn’t time for that.”
While Rodgers had been a big fan of Favre, as his eventual replacement, the dynamic between the two was never cordial enough for such sentiment to be expressed.
It’s not a secret that the relationship between Rodgers and Favre was a rocky one. Rodgers had been brought in as his replacement after all. Favre notoriously told reporters after Rodgers’ drafting, “My contract doesn’t state I have to get him ready to play.”
However, the two did manage to work out their differences over the years, and eventually even developed a friendship.
Sadly, Rodgers could never get the experience of having a cordial relationship with the guy he had looked up to. While he may have gotten a less-than-ideal start as a young rookie in the NFL, he did get to have surreal moments with others he had looked up to.
Rodgers reminisces about special Deion Sanders moment
In Week 16 of the 2005 season, the Packers were demolished 48-3 by the Baltimore Ravens. As a result, Rodgers got his first extended NFL action, relieving Favre in the back half of the blowout.
In that game, Rodgers got to have a true “fanboy” moment by sharing the gridiron with cornerback Deion Sanders:
“I got to play against a lot of my favorite players growing up, which was awesome. I got to walk the length of the field between the third and fourth quarter in 2005 with Deion Sanders… you pinch yourself and go ‘how special’. You’re living out your dreams… I got to fulfill all of [mine].”
A big San Francisco 49ers fan in his youth, Rodgers gained a great affinity for Sanders’ ability when the star defender helped the 49ers win Super Bowl XXIX. Getting to line up across from Sanders, even as a backup in the lopsided affair, is something Rodgers won’t ever forget.
Rodgers next aspiration – beyond the Jets trading for old friend Davante Adams – is to capture a second Lombardi Trophy. And a win over the undefeated Vikings in London on Sunday would be a massive step in the right direction.
