Watch: Top 10 Aaron Rodgers Moments

NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football” put together a montage of Aaron Rodgers’ top 10 moments.

Author:
Bill Huber
Publish date:
Mar 17, 2023 8:00 AM EDT

In this story:

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Aaron Rodgers returned from a knee injury to beat the Chicago Bears in the 2018 opener and threw an NFC North-winning touchdown bomb to Randall Cobb to stun the Bears in the 2013 finale.

In the 2016 NFL playoffs, he threw a Hail Mary touchdown to Cobb at the end of the first half against the Giants, then completed a miraculous pass at the sideline to Jared Cook to set up the winning field goal at Dallas.

And those weren’t even among the best-of-the-best moments from Rodgers’ incredible career.

NFL Network’s Good Morning Football put together a Top 10 list to celebrate Rodgers’ brilliant career with the Packers. No. 1 on the list: His back-to-back Hail Mary completions to Jeff Janis in the 2015 playoffs at the Arizona Cardinals, with the touchdown coming in front of All-Pro cornerback Patrick Peterson.

Fittingly in the context of Rodgers’ playoff career, the Packers lost that game in overtime.

With a golden right arm and a mastery of the improv, Rodgers will leave Green Bay ranked fifth all-time in touchdown passes and with four MVP awards. For 15 years, no matter the opponent, no matter the circumstances, the Packers entered just about every game with a chance to win because of Rodgers.

“And I know when I take the field, that there’s a standard those guys hold me to, and there’s an expectation of performance, and to be able to go out there and perform week after week, the way that I want to perform has been extremely meaningful to me.”

Packer Central’s Aaron Rodgers Highlights

From MVPs to clutch moments, here are six career highlights for legendary quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who expects to be traded to the New York Jets.

Six: Playoffs at Dallas

In the 2016 divisional playoffs at Dallas, back-to-back touchdown passes from Dak Prescott created a 28-28 tie with 4 minutes remaining.

Enter Rodgers. And Mason Crosby. Highlighted by a 16-yard completion to Davante Adams, the Packers drove to Crosby’s 56-yard, go-ahead field goal with 1:33 remaining.

Prescott answered to set up Dan Bailey’s 51-yard field goal to tie the game at 31 with 35 seconds to go.

Rodgers responded with perhaps the great pass in franchise history. On third-and-20, Rodgers escaped the pocket to his left, avoided a sack and threw an improbable pass to Jared Cook at the sideline, with the tight end getting both feet inbounds for a gain of 35 to the Cowboys’ 33 with 3 seconds to go. Crosby booted a 51-yard field goal to send Green Bay to the NFC Championship Game.

Five: Run the Table

In 2016, the Packers were trounced 42-24 at Washington. It was their fourth consecutive loss and sent their record to 4-6.

“I feel like we can run the table, I really do,” Rodgers said at his locker the following Wednesday.

And they did. Rodgers talked the talk and did he ever walk the walk. During the final six games of the regular season, Rodgers completed 71.0 percent of his passes and threw 15 touchdowns vs. zero interceptions. That hot stretch continued into the playoffs, with Green Bay demolishing the Giants in the wild-card round and edging Dallas in the divisional round.

Finally, the Packers ran out of magic – and players – in the NFC Championship Game at Atlanta. With LaDarius Gunter forced to cover Julio Jones, fullback Aaron Ripkowski the last man standing in the backfield, Jordy Nelson playing with broken ribs, Davante Adams powering through an injured ankle and Letroy Guion finishing the game at guard, Green Bay was trounced.

Four: Touchdown/Interception Legend

No quarterback has ever made so many big plays while avoiding so many bad plays. For his career, Rodgers has thrown 4.52 touchdowns for every interception. That’s the best in NFL history by a large margin.

Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes is a distant second with 3.92 touchdowns. If Rodgers threw 16 consecutive interceptions, he’d still be ahead of Mahomes. Or, Mahomes could throw 30 consecutive touchdowns and still trail Rodgers.

Russell Wilson (3.14 touchdowns per interception) and Tom Brady (3.06) are the only other passers at better than 2.75.

Three: Owner of Chicago

Before Brett Favre arrived on the scene in 1992, the Bears held a 24-game lead over the Packers in their ancient feud. Favre helped turned the tide, and Rodgers turned it into a tsunami.

“I’ve owned you all my (bleeping) life! I own you! I still own you!” Rodgers said after his key touchdown run to help clinch a victory at Chicago in 2021.

You’re damned right he did. Rodgers went 24-5 against Chicago. Take away the 2013 loss at Lambeau Field in which Rodgers suffered a broken collarbone on the opening series and add the 2010 NFC Championship Game, that record of domination turns to 25-4. In a league in which road wins are precious, he won 11 of his last 12 treks to Soldier Field.

Rodgers threw 64 touchdown passes against Chicago in 29 games. That would rank fourth on the Bears' all-time list.

“You definitely draw a lot of confidence and good memories off of this matchup,” Rodgers said. “We’ve had a tremendous amount of success during my time against them. I’ve enjoyed playing here, lot of great memories here over the years. It’s been a special rivalry that I’ve been able to be a part of.”

If “I own you” was a signature moment, the night of Nov. 9, 2014, at Lambeau Field was a signature game.

Rodgers completed 18-of-24 passes for 315 yards and six touchdowns. The six touchdowns all came in the first half. If not for Randall Cobb’s fumble at the Bears’ 4 early in the second quarter, Rodgers might have thrown seven touchdowns.

As it was, Rodgers tied the franchise’s single-game record for most touchdown passes and became the first quarterback since the Raiders’ Daryle Lamonica in 1969 to throw six touchdown passes in a single half.

Two: Four MVPs

When Rodgers won MVP in 2020, he broke a tie with Favre, Jim Brown, Johnny Unitas and Tom Brady and moved within one of Peyton Manning’s NFL-record five.

To secure that fourth MVP, Rodgers was sensational with seven consecutive games of two-plus touchdowns and zero interceptions while dealing with a broken toe. He became the only quarterback in NFL history to twice lead the league in passer rating, touchdown percentage and interception percentage.

“I’ve told the guys this a few times when I’ve had the opportunity to speak to them pregame, one of the greatest satisfactions in life is being held to a standard by your teammates and living up to that standard,” he said. “And I know when I take the field, that there’s a standard those guys hold me to, and there’s an expectation of performance, and to be able to go out there and perform week after week, the way that I want to perform has been extremely meaningful to me.”

One: Replacing a Legend, Raising the Bar

When Rodgers was drafted in the first round in 2005, he knew the challenge that was ahead in – eventually – replacing one of the icons of the game, Brett Favre.

“Pressure? Following Brett Favre?” Rodgers said to laughs. “Yeah, definitely (there will be) a lot of expectations – high expectations. They are used to winning out there. They are going to expect me to step in and not miss a beat.”

Favre retired in 2008. Then he wanted to come back. The franchise held its ground and traded Favre to the Jets. At training camp that summer, the split in the fans and the tension was palpable. Rodgers handled it with aplomb. When the railbirds lining the practice field along Oneida Street chanted “Bring back Brett,” Rodgers told reporters at his locker afterward, “Brett Swain was getting a lot of attention today.”

Somehow, Rodgers didn’t just replace Favre. He raised the bar. Favre won three MVPs; Rodgers won four. They both won only one Super Bowl but Rodgers had more sustained success. Rodgers needs 34 touchdown passes to pass Favre for fourth place on the all-time list. He’s thrown 231 fewer interceptions. Yes, 231.

Of course, the ultimate achievement came on the night of Feb. 6, 2011, in Arlington, Texas, when Rodgers led the Packers to a Super Bowl triumph over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Rodgers was magnificent in bringing the title back to Titletown. In four playoff games that year, three times he threw three touchdowns vs. zero interceptions with 110-plus passer ratings.

While Rodgers might have worn out his welcome among a significant number of fans, he was a true face of the franchise. From throwing touchdown passes to slipping a random Cub Scout a hundred-dollar bill at a popcorn sale, Rodgers was a champion on the field and off.