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Here’s How Rodgers Washed Down Sour Taste of Draft

In a new Ringer podcast, Aaron Rodgers said he sat down for the draft believing the Packers might give him another weapon.
Bill Huber|
Here’s How Rodgers Washed Down Sour Taste of Draft
Here’s How Rodgers Washed Down Sour Taste of Draft

GREEN BAY, Wis. – In rehashing his thinking upon the Green Bay Packers’ selection of quarterback Jordan Love in the first round of the NFL Draft, Aaron Rodgers dropped a bombshell.

Long known for his taste for scotch, Rodgers instead turned to some sipping tequila to get through an unexpected night.

“I went to the pantry. I poured myself about four fingers, and I knew it was going to be one of those nights where people start calling,” Rodgers told Kyle Brandt’s new “10 Questions” podcast for the Ringer.

Like most fans, Rodgers sat down for the draft believing the Packers might give him another weapon. Receiver was one of the team’s weak spots last season but perhaps the strongest position in the draft. Instead, after San Francisco jumped ahead of Green Bay to grab Arizona State’s Brandon Aiyuk at No. 25, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst traded up to land Love at No. 26.

“I was definitely surprised,” Rodgers said, echoing what he told Packers beat reporters in May. “I was watching the draft and thinking about which receiver might be there at that time. There was run on them in the early 20s. I knew the kid from LSU [Justin Jefferson], who I loved watching, went to Minnesota in the early 20s. I knew the kid from Clemson [Tee Higgins] was still there and I enjoyed watching him, as well; I didn’t know as much about him. And the kid from Arizona State, I think they liked him. So, when they traded up, I definitely perked up a little bit.”

Rodgers’ optimism ended, though, when his marketing agent texted him and informed him the Packers had just taken a quarterback.

“I wasn’t elated by the pick, especially being one game away from the Super Bowl and feeling like we were a couple players away,” Rodgers said. “But, at the same time, I understand it’s a business. I know that’s the reality.”

Also echoing what he told reporters in May, Rodgers acknowledged that the selection of Love likely means he’ll finish his career with another team.

The full clip is below. Episode 1 of the podcast will debut on Aug. 12.

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Bill Huber
BILL HUBER

Bill Huber, who has covered the Green Bay Packers since 2008, is the publisher of Packers On SI, a Sports Illustrated channel. E-mail: packwriter2002@yahoo.com History: Huber took over Packer Central in August 2019. Twitter: https://twitter.com/BillHuberNFL Background: Huber graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he played on the football team, in 1995. He worked in newspapers in Reedsburg, Wisconsin Dells and Shawano before working at The Green Bay News-Chronicle and Green Bay Press-Gazette from 1998 through 2008. With The News-Chronicle, he won several awards for his commentaries and page design. In 2008, he took over as editor of Packer Report Magazine, which was founded by Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Nitschke, and PackerReport.com. In 2019, he took over the new Sports Illustrated site Packer Central, which he has grown into one of the largest sites in the Sports Illustrated Media Group.

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