Few players can relate to the emotions Pittsburgh Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers has felt all week. Feelings that will intensify throughout the night ahead of facing his former team the Green Bay Packers. Peyton Manning offered his take on how Rodgers is processing things and the critical aspect of the game that’ll make things easier on him.
“You could tell it’s been an emotional week already…look, Aaron is lucky,” Manning said on ESPN’s NFL Countdown Sunday morning. “The game is not in Green Bay. That’s the tough one. As you know, Alex [Smith], going back, seeing the stadium, being in the visitors’ locker room, the fact that it’s in Pittsburgh is a blessing for Aaron.”
It’s a point Rodgers made earlier in the week. Not travelling to Lambeau Field takes some of the “teeth” out of the matchup and makes it feel closer to a normal game. Having to travel to the place he called home for 18 years with the backdrop of a large contingency of Packers’ fans would’ve ramped up the emotions ten fold. And given how few of Rodgers’ Green Bay teammates are still on roster, the meeting isn’t as sentimental. Most of Rodgers’ reunions will come through the support staff. The trainers, equipment managers, and other behind-the-scenes roles.
Manning faced his former team three times in his career: 2013, 2014, and 2015 after beginning his Denver Broncos’ career in 2012. He went 1-2 against the Colts, playing well but losing a couple of shootouts to successor Andrew Luck. Two of those games took place in Indy.
While former coaches like Jay Gruden dinged Rodgers for his comments throughout the week, Manning offered a different perspective.
“But I loved his comments during the week that he is at peace with his time in Green Bay,” Manning said. “He wants to retire there. I hate when former players kinda draw the line and make fans have to pick whose side, on the player side or the team side. Aaron Rodgers will always be a Packer. I’m glad he is having a great year in Pittsburgh. It’ll be an emotional game for him.”
Rodgers tamped down media angle of a “revenge” game against the Packers. Even as many analysts cast doubt on those comments, Rodgers did his best to not make media waves. It’s something he’s done well throughout the season after creating, or furthering, storylines last season in New York.
Once the ball gets kicked off, every story melts away. The focus shifts to winning the game and moving to 5-2.
“But once the game starts he can go out there and play,” Manning said. “But he’s lucky the game’s in Pittsburgh, for sure.”
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