In the days leading up to Sunday’s game between the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers, quarterback Aaron Rodgers made it clear he doesn’t have any animosity for his former team.
“I grew up there. I spent 18 years there from 21 to 39, so I’m thankful for my time there,” the Steelers starting quarterback revealed. “Obviously would’ve loved to ride off in the sunset after a Super Bowl win, but that’s not the way the league goes sometimes. I knew the writing was on the wall when Jordan was picked. … I knew at some point there would be a change, and if I wanted to play, it’d probably have to be elsewhere. So I understand the situation.”
While Rodgers doesn’t harbor any ill will for his former team, former NFL head coach Jon Gruden knows the Packers defense needs to be wary of the veteran quarterback. Gruden offered a word of warning, specifically for the Packers young pass-rushers, who will be going against the quarterback with the best hard count in NFL history — at least in Gruden’s eyes.
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“Aaron Rodgers saw Jacoby Brissett last week on third-and-23 against these young pass-rushers, because there are some rookies playing for Green Bay, he gets up there ‘haa! haa!’ He gets a hard count, they jump offsides, 43-yard gain. Who’s got the best hard count probably in NFL history? Aaron Rodgers,” Gruden said on Sunday.
“I can just hear him, ‘Green 18, green 18, ahh!’ He does a lot of stuff, ‘Hey we’re good, we’re good, we’re good, ahh!’ He just does a hell of a job. He’s going to try to get this young Packer pass-rush offsides and he’s going to take some shots, man. And it hurt Green Bay last week. They better get their act together, otherwise they’re going to be in trouble against Rodgers’ snap count,” Gruden added.
Green Bay and Pittsburgh are set for an 8:20 p.m. kickoff on Sunday night with the game broadcast on NBC.
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