Getty Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers looks on during warmups before a game against the Washington Commanders at FedExField on October 23, 2022 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers on Tuesday slammed fans of the franchise who he described as both “bitter” and “angry” following the team’s 3-4 start to the season.
Rodgers made the comments during his weekly appearance on the Pat McAfee Show after the host told him about Twitter buzz saying that Rodgers shouldn’t smile during his appearance on the program following Green Bay’s road loss to the Washington Commanders on Sunday.
The interview with the Packers’ quarterback begins at approximately the 2:11:07 mark of the video linked below.
“Well, they can say whatever they want,” Rodgers said of Packer Nation. “Nothing is going to sway that opinion, I don’t think. I can come out here and extol the virtues of my team and the hope for the future and excitement about the present, but I think people who are bitter and angry, they kinda want to sit in it and wallow in it a little bit, if you will. Like a pig in s***, ya know? Just enjoy it for a bit. Let it wash all over them before they’re ready to get washed off.”
The two-time MVP then clarified that it was fans of his own team at whom his comments were directed, not his teammates.
“I was talking about the fans,” Rodgers continued. “Fans want to be upset and that’s fine. That’s great. It’s still kind of a free country so they can do whatever they want. As far as us, we’re going to get ready for a tough opponent on Sunday Night Football.”
Packers Face Toughest Opponent in Bills as Season Hangs on Brink
GettyQB Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers looks on before a game against the New England Patriots at Lambeau Field on October 2, 2022 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
The Sunday night matchup Rodgers referred to is against the AFC-leading Buffalo Bills on the road. The Packers opened the week as 10.5-point underdogs, the widest point spread gulf Rodgers has faced in his 15 years as the team’s starting quarterback.
A loss would drop Green Bay to 3-5, potentially pushing them out of second place in the NFC North Division behind the Chicago Bears (3-4) should the Bears find a way to defeat the the Dallas Cowboys. More concerning than that possibility is the reality that the Packers could find themselves 3.5 games out of first place essentially halfway through the season if the Minnesota Vikings hold up against the Arizona Cardinals.
Packer Nation isn’t accustomed to such poor starts and substantial division deficits during the Rodgers era, accounting for some of the discord being voiced among the fan base. Rodgers’ decision to call out the fans Tuesday is a curious one, considering he leveraged the threat of retirement and a trade demand to secure his $50 million-plus annual salary, leaving the front office somewhat hamstrung when it came to adding more offensive weapons.
Injuries Will Make it Tough For Packers to Get Back on Track vs. Bills
GettyWide receiver Allen Lazard of the Green Bay Packers warms up before a game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Dignity Health Sports Park on November 3, 2019 in Carson, California.
If Rodgers is currently annoyed — or worse, detachedly bemused — by the fans’ criticism of his play and attitude, the circumstances heading into Buffalo are unlikely to help the situation.
Allen Lazard was wearing a sling on his injured shoulder on Monday, while veteran Randall Cobb is on IR for at least the next three weeks. Potentially without his two most prolific wideouts this season, Rodgers will be forced to lean on rookie Romeo Doubs, who put up zero catches in last week’s loss to the Commanders.
The Bills look like arguably the best team in the NFL through seven games and have made a habit of blowing out most of their opponents, let alone those struggling in major areas on both offense and defense. The table is set for an ugly loss this weekend, which could make fan reaction even less friendly to Rodgers and the rest of the roster in the days to come.
If that does prove the outcome, and Rodgers chooses to respond to it as he did on Tuesday, the going in Packer land could get rougher than it has been in decades.