Seems Like Aaron Rodgers May Have Known the Packers Were Taking a QB Back in March
By Nick Porr
Thursday night's NFL Draft began predictably. Joe Burrow went first overall to the Cincinnati Bengals, and there were few surprise picks and trades to shake up the draft order. Then, with the No. 26 pick, the Green Bay Packers shocked the NFL world by trading up to take quarterback Jordan Love. No one saw the move coming, except perhaps Aaron Rodgers?
The 36-year-old two-time MVP quarterback did an interview in March where he was asked how he would feel if the Packers drafted a quarterback in the 2020 NFL Draft, and he had his answer at the ready.
Aaron Rodgers in March on the possibility of the Packers drafting a quarterback: "No matter who you bring in, they're not going to be able to beat me out anytime soon."
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) April 24, 2020
Rodgers' somewhat-defensive response hints that he may have known more about the situation than anyone else. Either way, he was definitely prepared with reverse fire.
The Love-Rodgers situation has immediately drawn comparison to the Favre-Rodgers tandem Green Bay had at the start of Rodgers' career.
Going into Favre's age-36 season, the Green Bay Packers selected Aaron Rodgers with the No. 24 pick in the 2005 NFL Draft. Rodgers would spend three seasons on the bench as Favre's backup before the veteran wound up with the New York Jets in 2008.
After taking Love late in the first round just like the Packers took Rodgers in 2005, history may repeat itself.
#Packers selected Aaron Rodgers when Brett Favre was 35.#Packers now select Jordan Love when Aaron Rodgers is 36.
— NFL Update (@MySportsUpdate) April 24, 2020
They were one game away from the Super Bowl last year... so instead of helping Rodgers, they take his potential successor.
Whether or not Rodgers was explicitly told Green Bay was looking at quarterbacks or not is unclear, as of now.
Nonetheless, the drama swirling around the Packers, Rodgers, and Love is almost palpable, and will surely become one of the best NFL storylines in the years to come.