Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love sat behind future first-ballot Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers for three seasons before taking over as the starting signal caller for Green Bay. It was a valuable experience that helped shape him into the quarterback he is today—one who led the Packers to back-to-back playoff appearances and helped the organization maintain a consistent winning culture.
Still, those years on the bench were not always sunshine and rainbows.
“When I got drafted here I knew right away exactly what situation I was being put in, who I was being behind,” Love explained during the spring of 2023. “So I knew it was going to come with time that I was going to come in and learn and grow. But I’ll admit, I think the hardest time was when he re-signed the contract last year. It was kind of like, ‘OK, well, where do we go from here? What do I do?’ I sat back, thought to myself and came back with the approach like just go ball out.”
Green Bay traded Rodgers to the New York Jets in 2023. After spending two seasons in New York, Rodgers signed a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Friday. He will face his former team in Week 8 when the Steelers host the Packers on Sunday Night Football.
Speaking with Channel 3000’s Jason Wilde, Love shared his expectations for facing his former mentor in the upcoming season.
“It’s going to be fun,” Love said. “It’s going to be awesome. I’m excited for it.”
“I can’t wait to be on different sides, meeting up, and I know we’ll talk pregame, things like that. And, hopefully, we can exchange jerseys after.”
Love also said he was not surprised when he heard the news of Rodgers signing with Pittsburgh.
“I was excited for him, that he was obviously coming back and going to be playing,” he said. “There were also some rumors that he might be done, so just knowing he’s going to keep playing, that’s pretty awesome.”
It should be a special night for many members of Green Bay’s organization, as well as for Rodgers himself. There should be some Packers fans hoping this is not the last time these two teams meet in 2025. For Packers fans, a Super Bowl matchup against Pittsburgh would be a dream come true and one of the most captivating storylines in NFL history.
