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Former executive director of the NFLPA, DeMaurice Smith, served in that position for 14 years starting in 2009, quickly playing a key role during the 2011 NFL lockout.
During that time, it's probably safe to say that Smith had seen a thing or two during his lengthy tenure of being the voice of the players and dealing with the players, which proved to be more than enough to inspire writing a book about the experience.
In Smith's upcoming Turf Wars, the 61-year-old former trial lawyer did not hold back on much, specifically when it came to Aaron Rodgers, the legendary quarterback who has become an ever-growing polarizing figure among NFL fans.
Aaron Rodgers of the New York Jets looks on before kickoff against the Cleveland Browns on December 28, 2023 in Cleveland, Ohio. Cooper Neill/Getty Images Cooper Neill/Getty Images
"The god of Cheesehead Nation [Rodgers] was isolated and dismissive. He sat in the back row of the meeting room, issuing loud sighs before standing for a dramatic exit. An incredible quarterback, to be sure, but an even more impressive antagonist," Smith writes in the soon to be released Turf Wars.
Rodgers is arguably considered among the greatest and most talented quarterbacks to ever play the game. So for Smith to call Rodgers an "even more impressive antagonist" than he is a player puts a rather large stamp on Smith's apparent great disdain for the four-time NFL MVP.
And if the above excerpt didn't express that quite enough, surely this one will.
It also might be best for Pittsburgh Steelers fans to go ahead and look away here:
"In August 2021, my phone chirped with a text from Aaron Rodgers. 'Can you call me?' it read. Could I not run into traffic instead?" Smith wrote.
Ouch.
It isn't exactly surprising to hear that someone who spent 14 years working at a key position within the NFL, on the player's side no less, has a very distinct and descriptive opinion of Rodgers, and one that heavily leans negative.
But what sounds like Smith's extremely low tolerance level for the 41-year-old quarterback comes off as especially brutal.
Considering the new book has already been noted to take shots at Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, in addition to the demolition job on Rodgers above, there might be much more to come sooner than later.
As for Rodgers, he signed a 1-year, $10 million contract with the Steelers just last month, marking his third NFL team over the last four seasons.
Aaron Rodgers Ripped For Being Better 'Antagonist' Than 'Quarterback' in New Book first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 9, 2025
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