Getty Aaron Rodgers (left) & Dan Campbell (right)
Aaron Rodgers’ days as quarterback of the Green Bay Packers may be a thing of the past, but he’s still not thrilled about the state of the NFC North.
With Detroit’s Week 16 win over the Vikings, the Lions clinched their first division title since 1993 when they won the then-NFC Central.
When asked during his weekly appearance on The Pat McAfee Show about his feelings on the Lions ending their 30-year drought, Rodgers let his old colors shine through.
“Not happy. Although I’m in New York, I definitely still want the green and gold to take the North every year,” Rodgers said on December 26, before giving due credit to Detroit.
“They’ve got a good football team. Jared (Goff has) had a really nice season, obviously, (Amon-Ra) St. Brown is a fantastic receiver,” Rodgers continued. “They’ve got a lot of guys. Two really good backs. Jahmyr (Gibbs) had a really nice year. Always been a fan of (David) Montgomery, the way he runs the ball, his toughness.”
“Jared Goff has had a really nice season and Amon-Ra St. Brown is a fantastic receiver..
They’ve got a good football team and the NFC is pretty wide open” ~ @AaronRodgers12
Regarding Detroit’s chances to make a deep run though, Rodgers made it a point to highlight the quality of opponent headed their way when the franchise hosts its first-ever playoff game at Ford Field in January.
“I think the NFC is pretty deep. I think we can all agree on that, right? … Detroit has had their moments too where they haven’t looked great. Probably should’ve lost to the Bears. Packers beat them in Detroit. So, I think the NFC’s pretty wide open.”
Aaron Rodgers’ Dominance Over Lions, NFC North
During his 18-year run in Green Bay from 2005 to 2022, Rodgers and company ceded the NFC North title only nine times — five of which came between 2005 and 2010.
The Vikings (5) and Bears (4) accounted for all nine, while Detroit racked up only five seasons with a record above .500 during Rodgers’ 18-year reign in Green Bay. Far behind that of the Packers (13), Vikings (11) and Bears (10).
Rodgers’ splits against the North undoubtedly support his self-made title as owner of the Bears (and the entire division, really). A-Rod owns a career record of 24-5 against Chicago, 18-8 against Detroit and 17-11-1 against Minnesota.
This season, the NFC North is mostly the 2023 version of The Upside Down. The 11-4 Lions lead the way, trailed by the 7-8 Packers and Vikings, who are set for a high-stakes Sunday Night Football matchup in Week 17 to likely decide their playoff fate.
Even with a below .500 record with two games to play, Green Bay still has a 95% chance at the playoffs if they can win out at Minnesota and home to Chicago.
According to the NYT playoff simulator, the Packers have a 95% chance to make the postseason if they beat the Vikings and Bears.
If Bears beat Falcons, Steelers beat Seahawks and Packers beat Vikings this week, Bears-Packers Week 18 is win-and-in for Green Bay.
Heavy’s projections powered by Quarter4 give the Packers only a 35% win probability against the Jaren Hall-led Vikings. Minnesota took down Green Bay 24-10 back in Week 8, albeit with Kirk Cousins under center.
The Latest on Aaron Rodgers in New York
To anyone paying attention, Rodgers’ inaugural season with the New York Jets — which effectively ended 4 snaps into Week 1 after suffering a torn Achilles — has had more emotional highs and lows than a season of The Bachelor.
With two regular season games to play, the 6-9 Jets have already been eliminated from playoff contention. New York did elect to activate Rodgers to the roster following his 21-day practice window, however, head coach Robert Saleh made it clear on December 20 that his 40-year-old quarterback will not play again this season.
Turning the page to 2024, Jets owner Woody Johnson confirmed to the New York Post’s Brian Costello that Saleh and GM Joe Douglas will return next season. Saleh also told SI’s Albert Breer he is “fully expecting” his coaching staff to remain intact in 2024.
That is likely to include its most polarizing figure and longtime confidant of Rodgers, offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett.
Next up: The Rodgers recruitment trail, 2024 edition. ESPN’s Rich Cimini has already floated a few familiar names to keep an eye on. That list includes the likes of old friends WR Davante Adams, LT David Bakhtiari, RB Aaron Jones, TE Robert Tonyan and more.
Buckle up, people.