This weekend marks a big game in Aaron Rodgers’s career. The Pittsburgh Steelers host longtime rivals, the Green Bay Packers, in a matchup as historic as the rivalry itself.
The Steelers and Packers are two of the most storied franchises in NFL history and have faced each other in many noteworthy games, including the iconic Super Bowl XLV. This time, however, the matchup carries a rare storyline, as former Packers star Rodgers will square off with his former team while leading the Steelers.
Is This Aaron Rodgers’ First-Ever Revenge Game Against the Packers?
The weight of this Sunday Night Football showdown lies in the fact that this is Rodgers’ first time facing the team he spent the better part of two decades with.
It’s been three years since the 41-year-old left Wisconsin for greener pastures. While he didn’t find it at the New York Jets, he’s busy making the most of his stop in Pittsburgh this season.
Heading into his revenge game versus Green Bay, Rodgers and the Steelers are 4-2. They will look to bounce back after a Thursday Night Football loss against fellow veteran Joe Flacco and the Cincinnati Bengals.
It took the schedule makers three years to give fans one of the most exciting revenge games the league has seen in a while. The timing couldn’t be better, as both the Packers and the Steelers are in strong shape, which could set up a high-scoring affair under the nightlights of Steel Town.
Has Aaron Rodgers Ever Played In a Revenge Game?
Yes, he has, and one doesn’t have to dig deep into history to find the veteran quarterback’s first-ever revenge game.
After 20 years in the NFL, Rodgers saw his first revenge game against the Jets this season in Week 1. The shot-caller was still fresh off his stint with New York when he went head-to-head with the team, where many saw him as a failed experiment.
In an opening-week game that went down to the wire, Rodgers took his former team to task, hanging 17 points on them in the fourth quarter to win 34-32.
Going 2-for-2 in revenge games will be a tall task this week. Green Bay sports a loaded team that’s put together a 4-1-1 record to hold the summit in the NFC North. Pittsburgh will have to make good on its 10th-ranked running back defense in order to stop Green Bay running back Josh Jacobs (who is, however, questionable ahead of the weekend).
