Finally, Aaron Rodgers exits the NFC North
Do you hear that, Wisconsin? That’s the sound of celebrations coming from Minnesota that Aaron Rodgers is finally gone.
On the Pat McAfee Show, Rodgers came out of his darkness retreat and announced Wednesday that he intends to play for the New York Jets as soon as they can work out a trade with a Green Bay Packers to send him to The Big Apple.
You don’t need me to explain why Vikings fans would be so thrilled but just to put it in context: As a Packer, Rodgers played 29 regular season games versus Minnesota, going 17-11-1 with 57 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Not a typo. Even with a long run of good Vikings defenses under Mike Zimmer, Rodgers still managed a 108.4 QB rating in games against the Vikings over his career. Last year’s NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes finished the regular season with a 105.4 rating.
Along the way Rodgers had six games vs. the Vikings where he threw for more than 350 yards. He threw for three-plus touchdowns 10 times. He completed 70% of his passes in 13 games. Rodgers officially ended the Vikings’ playoff hopes in 2021 and 2016. He made a mockery of their revamped defense in Week 1 of 2020, he introduced Zimmer to the division in 2014 with 66 points in two wins and stomped on their grave with a 31-3 win in 2010. That’s just the half of it. The Packers won the division eight times with Rodgers under center and won a Super Bowl.
But the thing about the Vikings-Rodgers rivalry is that… it was actually a rivalry. This wasn’t Tom Brady bashing the Bills and Jets’ heads in. This wasn’t Michael Jordan dunking on the Knicks and Pacers every year. The Vikings got in their licks on Rodgers. Brett Favre won both games against Rodgers in 2009. They spoiled a 365-yard performance against him in 2012. They beat him in 2015 to win the division. They broke his collarbone. They embarrassed him in Week 1 of the 2022 season.
In Vikings fans’ moments of truth, they would have to admit they enjoyed having a villain. That’s not to say they loved every minute of Rodgers’s back-shoulder magic to Jordy Nelson or Davante Adams but they had someone to despise. I’m sure some historians would tell me that the Packers-Vikings rivalry goes back before Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers but it has the consistent three-decade energy, the split households, the passive aggressive tailgates, the bumper stickers and burnt cheeseheads because of those two quarterbacks. I’ve never seen a urinal cake with a Lions logo. Does the joy of anyone’s season hinge on how the Vikings perform against the Bears?
Nobody needs to thank Rodgers for that. He handed out enough L’s to the Vikings over the years to spell the world “ballistically” five times but you can’t argue that the excitement is going to be the same when Jordan Love trots out for his first drive against Minnesota in 2023.
Oh, right, Jordan Love.
You know I’ve lived in Minnesota long enough when I can say out loud: “He’s probably going to be a Hall of Famer.” But Love is interesting. The Packers seem to be the only team in the NFL stratosphere that actually gets to develop a quarterback over a number of years before they take over. You can go back and look at old scouting reports for insight on Love but those are irrelevant after he’s been behind the scenes for three years. Not knowing what Love is going to be but also knowing he’s talented is just enough to strike a pang of terror into Vikings fans — they’re lying if they tell you otherwise. It isn’t like Andy Dalton is taking over the cheese factory.
The Packers are in a difficult spot though, thanks to Rodgers. His parting gift, maybe showing his admiration for the Vikings, was to sink the Packer organization with dead cap money, limiting what they can do to improve the squad around Love. Wait, maybe that wasn’t about the Vikings and instead about making sure his predecessor isn’t instantly successful. Well, I guess that would be wildly egotistical and nobody would ever think that of A-Rodg.
Rodgers’ exit doesn’t come at a moment where the Vikings can truly sigh relief. The Lions put together a top-five offense last year and just added two cornerbacks in free agency. The Bears received a king’s ransom for the top pick and signed every free agent with a pulse to make a big jump. And even though the Vikings have the No. 1 quarterback in the NFC North at the moment, NFC means Not Forever Cousins considering how the team has handled his contract situation in recent weeks.
New heroes and villains will emerge but there’s nothing quite like going to battle with a legendary QB twice per year. The losses are more frustrating for fans, the victories sweeter. And hey, maybe the Vikings will soon be the next team with a QB that everybody in the North can’t stand for a decade.
This time, though, the Vikings should completely avoid the rest of the Favre historical arc. Probably nothing to worry about, there was 196 days of sun in Minneapolis/St. Paul last year.
