Aaron Rodgers Says He Wasn't Initially 'Thrilled' By Jordan Love Pick, But Understands Team's Thinking

Future Hall of Fame QB Aaron Rodgers addressed the media Friday afternoon for the first time since the Packers selected quarterback Jordan Love No. 26 overall in the 2020 NFL draft.

Rodgers said he was initially surprised by the selection, but came to understand more about the thought process behind it.

"Not going to say I was thrilled by the pick, necessarily," Rodgers said, per ESPN's Field Yates. "But I understand the organization is not thinking just about the present, but the future and I respect that."

He later added, "There are some new factors that are out of my control. And so my sincere desire to start and finish with the same organization, just as it has with many other players over the years, may not be a reality at this point."

Rodgers' comments come just over two weeks after those of former Packers QB Brett Favre, who also said he was "surprised" by Green Bay's selection of Love. 

"I think he will play somewhere else," Favre said of Rodgers' future. "He has every right to feel disrespected, if he is."

The three-time MVP also said he had talked to Rodgers after the selection.

Love, the Packers' first-round pick, told ESPN that Rodgers welcomed him to the organization.

"Yeah, I was able to talk with him earlier," Love said. "You know, really good guy. [He was] just congratulating me, and I was just letting him know that I was excited to be able to work with him."

According to ESPN's Rob Demovsky, Rodgers initiated the initial conversation between Love and Rodgers.

"He didn't get asked to be drafted by the Packers," Rodgers said of Love, per ESPN. "He's not to blame at all."

The Packers moved up from No. 30 to No. 26 to select the Utah State product. At the time of the pick, the move was largely compared to Green Bay's decision to draft Rodgers as Brett Favre's successor in the 2005 NFL Draft.

Green Bay went 13-3 in 2019 and lost to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship. While many draft analysts expect Green Bay to draft a wide receiver in the first round, the team ran its streak of avoiding the position in the opening round to 19 years.

"I like where we're at," Rodgers said Friday of the team's direction heading into 2020.