Jordan Love Opens Up About Relationship With Aaron Rodgers Before Packers-Steelers

GREEN BAY, Wis. – In 2019, Aaron Rodgers led the Green Bay Packers to the NFC Championship Game. About three months later, they drafted his replacement.

Jordan Love wasn’t sure what to expect. But Rodgers, who always said he wanted to be a better mentor to his successor than Brett Favre was to him, was good on his word.

“You never know how it’s going to go,” Love said on Wednesday, his weekly conversation with reporters dominated by talk of facing Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night. “Obviously, I didn’t know what to expect coming into it. Obviously, being a first-round pick, having A-Rod there, there were a lot of question marks, so you never know how that’s going to be.

“But getting here, just being around A-Rod, being in the quarterback room, those guys welcomed me in with open arms and were great. And I think that’s what helps build those relationships, keep those relationships.”

Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) and quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) fist bump during training camp in 2021. | Julia Martins de Sa / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

With Love in his third season as Green Bay’s starting quarterback and Rodgers in his first season in Pittsburgh, their relationship remains strong. Love said Rodgers reached out a couple weeks ago.

“A-Rod texted me and was talking about some of the plays we’d run and some of my footwork, things like that, complimenting me. Obviously, it’s great to be able to hear from him,” Love said. “I’ve got so much respect for him and, anytime he gives me pointers, stuff like that, obviously, you want to get feedback from a legend like that. So, we’ve got a great relationship. I’m excited to be able to see him Sunday, be able to go against him.”

Favre didn’t believe it was his job to teach Rodgers the tricks of the trade. So, he didn’t. Going through it, Rodgers vowed to do better.

While Favre and Rodgers eventually formed a relationship, Rodgers didn’t let his resentment get in the way after the team drafted a quarterback rather than a player who could help them get back to the Super Bowl.

“That’s definitely something that I’ve heard stories about: his time coming into the league in the same kind of situation, getting drafted here as a rookie with a quarterback who’s already been here. So, I’ve heard a lot stories, but it’s one of those things, I wasn’t in the room. Who knows how it was?

“But you have heard Aaron talk about how he wanted my relationship with him and my experience in the quarterback room to be different than what he had. So, I’ve got a lot of respect for how he handled it, the way he went about me coming in and, like I said before, he welcomed me with open arms. He helped me out a ton in the quarterback room. I learned so much from watching him and also hearing him talk in the meeting room. He was great to me.”

Love’s rookie season was impacted significantly by COVID. There was no offseason program, so he was hopelessly behind by the time training camp began. He spent the season as the No. 3 quarterback behind Rodgers and Tim Boyle.

So, Love watched quietly from the background – so much so that he was given “quiet fines” as a way to encourage Love to interact more in meetings than Rodgers did when he was behind Favre.

“It was definitely something where coming in right away, I was real quiet in the quarterback room,” Love said. “I was trying to just sit back and watch him, and I didn’t want to be that guy that’s sitting here asking a million questions when he’s trying to get ready for a game and that’s probably the last thing he’s thinking about.

“So, I tried to stay in my lane, but, at the same time, I think A-Rod was great in trying to find ways to incorporate me into the room and to give me little pointers on things that he was doing. And I think as the years went on (and) the relationship got better, I kept trying to ask him more and more questions and pick his brain on things. But it’s definitely something that I had to work my way up and talk more in the room.”

Eventually, with Love moved up to No. 2 on the depth chart, he came out of his shell.

Rodgers helped Love with football and film, footwork and fundamentals. He also talked about leadership.

After the 2022 season, when the Packers fell short of the playoffs and Love played well in relief of Rodgers at Philadelphia, it was time. The Packers traded Rodgers to the Jets and handed the baton to Love.

With three years of willing mentorship from Rodgers, he was ready as possible for filling the shoes of a sure-fire Hall of Famer.

“It was definitely difficult just coming into an organization [for which] they’ve had a lot of success at the quarterback position and understanding who you’re taking over for,” Love said. “A-Rod had done a lot of really good things, won a lot of MVPs, won a Super Bowl, so definitely a lot of success he’s had here.

“It’s definitely going to be a tough transition. I think the main thing for me was just trying to block all that out and just understand that for me, this is a great opportunity. Something I’ve been waiting for for three years being behind him, watching him. So, I knew in the back of my head I was ready, and how best can I go out there and try and block all that extra noise out and just play my game and make my own name here.”

This will be Love’s 40th regular-season start. It’s apples-and-oranges but many of Love’s numbers are better than Rodgers’ at this stage of their careers.

Talking to reporters in Pittsburgh on Wednesday, Rodgers waxed nostalgic about Chives restaurant in Suamico and shopping at Piggly Wiggly in Howard, and echoed what he told Packers On SI that this would not be a grudge match.

Love tried to downplay the hype, as well. A win would keep the Packers in first place in the jam-packed NFC North and build some momentum as the second half of the season approaches.

“I think at the end of the day, I think it’s another game,” Love said. “I think obviously going into this week it’s going to be one of those very talked-about matchups. Obviously, just from my time with A-Rod and his time with the Packers, it’s something that’s going to be hyped up.

“But at the end of the day, it’s just another game. I’m going against the Pittsburgh Steelers defense; he’s going against the Green Bay Packers defense. So, we’re not going against each other head-on-head, obviously, but it’s going to be a fun game. Like you said, we’re both competitors, we both want to come out with this win, so I’m just excited to see him.”

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