Rodgers says playing Pack 'not a revenge game'

PITTSBURGH -- Steelers backmost Aaron Rodgers doesn't presumption Sunday night's gathering against the Green Bay Packers, the squad that drafted him No. 24 wide successful 2005 and wherever helium spent the archetypal 18 years of his career, arsenic a "revenge game," helium said Wednesday.

"I don't person immoderate animosity toward the organization," helium said. "Obviously I privation that things had been amended successful our past twelvemonth there, but I person a large narration with a batch of radical inactive successful that organization, and this is not a revenge crippled for me. I'm conscionable excited to spot immoderate of those guys and beryllium connected 'Sunday Night Football' again."

Rodgers, of course, took implicit for Brett Favre arsenic the team's full-time starter successful 2008 and spent 15 seasons successful that relation until helium orchestrated a commercialized that sent him to the New York Jets successful April 2023. His exit installed 2020 first-round prime Jordan Love arsenic the Packers' caller starting quarterback.

Rodgers, though, said that portion determination are similarities betwixt his and Love's concern and the 1 that unfolded betwixt Rodgers and Favre, this gathering of caller and aged isn't arsenic charged -- for the quarterbacks oregon the fanbases -- arsenic the 1 that happened successful 2009. That season, Favre, arsenic a subordinate of the Minnesota Vikings, played against the Packers astatine the Metrodome successful Week 4 connected "Monday Night Football."

"Brett got traded, and past helium went to 1 of the hated rivals." Rodgers said, explaining the difference. "I was successful New Jersey for a mates years."

After beating the Jets, wherever helium spent 2 dismal and wounded marred seasons, successful Week 1, Rodgers said it was "nice" to bushed 1 of his erstwhile teams, but it didn't "come adjacent to feeling however it's going to consciousness playing Green Bay due to the fact that that's 18 years of my career."

Wednesday, Rodgers clarified that those feelings would beryllium adjacent much antithetic if Sunday night's crippled wasn't astatine Acrisure Stadium.

"It would consciousness antithetic if I was going backmost to Green Bay," said Rodgers, who won a Super Bowl with the Packers successful 2010. "I person a batch of emotion for the organization, but if we were playing successful Lambeau, that would beryllium a small antithetic feeling for sure."

Coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday helium doesn't expect Rodgers to attack this crippled immoderate otherwise from different matchups this season.

Rodgers played his past crippled astatine Lambeau connected Jan. 8, 2022, throwing a touchdown and an interception successful a 20-16 nonaccomplishment to the Detroit Lions. Nearly 4 months later, Rodgers was a Jet. The commercialized was precipitated by the team's enactment of Love with its first-round prime successful the 2020 NFL draft. Rodgers won back-to-back MVP awards aft the squad added Love, but by 2022, the seasoned knew his clip with the enactment was coming to an end. Though his departure and the process of it created a tenuous narration with the Packers astatine the time, Rodgers said his feelings toward the enactment person evolved successful the years since leaving Green Bay.

"Absence makes the bosom turn fonder, maybe," helium said with a smile. "Have a batch of large memories from my clip there. ... I grew up there. I spent 18 years determination from 21 to 39, truthful I'm thankful for my clip there.

"Obviously would've loved to thrust disconnected successful the sunset aft a Super Bowl win, but that's not the mode the league goes sometimes, and I knew the penning was connected the partition erstwhile Jordan was picked, and arsenic a substance of time, I happened to triumph MVP the archetypal 2 years helium was with us. But I knew astatine immoderate constituent determination would beryllium a change, and if I wanted to play it'd astir apt person to beryllium elsewhere. So I recognize the situation. We unrecorded and we learn."