Getty Aaron Rodgers is running out of Green Bay Packers receivers to throw to.
Aaron Rodgers has endured the wrath of Philadelphia Eagles fans for almost two decades now. He has many fond memories of them hilariously heckling him at Lincoln Financial Field, including that one time he had a battery hurled at his helmet.
Rodgers rehashed some of his favorite Philly moments during a recent chat with Pat McAfee. His all-time best interaction came back in 2006 — he was backing up Brett Favre at the time — during a Monday Night Football game. The Eagles routed the Green Bay Packers 31-9 that evening but Rodgers still laughs about what one rowdy fan was yelling at him.
“One time I got hit with a battery, in the helmet,” Rodgers said. “But the funniest was, we were playing them on a Monday night, I think it was in 2006 and one of your boys can fact-check this but I feel like it was 2006, might have been 2005 … but the entire game, every time [Brett] Favre would come out of the game and we’d look at the pictures somebody in the stands would yell, ‘Hey Rodgers get the splinters out your a**.’ The entire game. I mean, the entire game. He had to be in one of the first two rows.”
Aaron Rodgers called the Linc one of the great trash talking venues in the NFL. He said before he was a even a starter, he was yelled at for an entire game by a fan to get the splinters out of his ass. “It’s a great sports town.”
Rodgers was miffed as to why the fans were getting on the backup quarterback, then learned to accept it. He actually respected it and turned around and gave the guy a thumbs up.
“In the beginning, I was like, ‘Man, why is he yelling at me?’ Of all the things he could be yelling and then when he just kept going and going, it went from like ‘Phew to like, I respect this guy now.’ He’s carried it on the entire game and at some point, I need to turn around and give this guy a thumbs up.”
Which he did. Expect more funny interactions between Rodgers and Eagles fans tonight. Kickoff is slated for 8:20 p.m.
“The funniest trash talkers are in Philly” – Aaron Rodgers
Rodgers Dealing with Major Injury, Ligament Damage
Rodgers has struggled mightily at times over the first 11 games this season. He’s looked human, far from a future Hall of Famer coming off back-to-back MVP awards in 2020 and 2021. His critics are saying he’s washed up. But, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Rodgers is dealing with a broken thumb. It’s actually a ligament injury that will require surgery in the off-season.
“My understanding, from talking to several sources involved in the situation, is it’s actually worse than we ever realized,” Rapoport said. “I’m told he has an avulsion fracture of his thumb which essentially means the ligament tears away from the bone and pulls a piece of bone with it. It is a ligament injury and it is a fracture that can cause significant joint instability and make all the things that a quarterback does, including throw the ball by the way, extremely difficult.”
The @NFLGameDay Notebook with @MikeGarafolo & @TomPelissero: #Packers QB Aaron Rodgers has an alvulsion fracture of his thumb & surgery may be needed; The #Ravens expect Lamar Jackson (hip muscle injury) to be fine; #Browns QB Deshaun Watson is on track to be reinstated Monday.
Eagles Set to Honor Hugh Douglas, Trent Cole
Former defensive ends Hugh Douglas and Trent Cole will be inducted into the Eagles Hall of Fame at halftime of tonight’s game. Statistically, they are two of the greatest pass rushers in franchise history. Cole retired with 85.5 sacks in a midnight green jersey, second all-time behind only Reggie White. Douglas finished with 54.5 sacks, fifth-best on the franchise list.
The big 53