Aaron Rodgers has opened up about the Green Bay Packers‘ controversial decision to draft quarterback Jordan Love in 2020 – a move that many believed signaled the beginning of the end for Rodgers’ tenure in Green Bay.
Rodgers shared his side of the story in his new Netflix docuseries, “Aaron Rodgers: Enigma,” recounting the exact moment he learned the Packers had selected Love as the 26th overall pick in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
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Rodgers’ raw reaction to Love’s selection
As Rodgers watched the draft from home, he was stunned when his phone buzzed with a text from his agent.
“I looked down at my phone and my agent just texted me: ‘Quarterback.’ And I was like, ‘No f****ng way,'” Rodgers recalled in “Enigma.” “Then the pick happens, and I immediately got off the couch and was super non-reactive. I just went to pour myself some tequila and went back to the couch and knew there was going to be some interesting conversations.”
It was a moment of disbelief for Rodgers, who had led the Packers to a 13-3 record and an NFC Championship appearance just a few months earlier.
At 36 years old, he expected the front office to draft a player who could make an immediate impact to help him win another Super Bowl. Instead, they selected a player many viewed as his successor.
In the docuseries, Rodgers took a reflective tone, offering a more mature perspective on how he now views the situation.
“With time, it gives you perspective to look at things a little differently. Take the ego out of it, be empathetic,” Rodgers said, acknowledging that his initial shock and frustration had evolved into something more thoughtful.
At the time, Rodgers had even joked on The Pat McAfee Show that he was hoping the Packers would finally draft a skill-position player in the first round.
“Yeah, we haven’t picked a skill position player in the first round in 15 years, so that would be kind of cool,” he noted.
While many believed this marked the beginning of the end for Rodgers in Green Bay, the veteran quarterback did what great competitors do – he responded with excellence. Instead of sulking, Rodgers channeled his frustration into back-to-back MVP seasons in 2020 and 2021, proving he was far from finished.
