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Aaron Rodgers' rookie season with the Green Bay Packers was a challenging one, marked by a frosty relationship with veteran quarterback Brett Favre.
Drafted 24th overall in 2005 after an unexpected slide down the draft board, Rodgers found himself as the heir apparent to one of the NFL's most iconic quarterbacks - a dynamic that came with its fair share of tension.
In the new Netflix docies "Aaron Rodgers: Enigma," the now 41-year-old Rodgers opened up about the unique challenges of his first year in Green Bay, painting a vivid picture of life as a young quarterback trying to win over a future Hall of Famer.
Rodgers recalled the moment he realized Favre wasn't exactly rolling out the welcome mat.
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"He wasn't super juiced on the idea of them drafting a quarterback in the first round," Rodgers said. "So the first year was a little icy, shall we say?"
The sentiment was no secret. During an August 2005 interview with reporters, Favre bluntly stated, "My contract doesn't say I have to get Aaron Rodgers ready to play."
Those words became symbolic of the brewing tension between the two quarterbacks, underscoring the challenge Rodgers faced in navigating his early days with the team.
Adding to the strain was Favre's close friendship with backup quarterback Craig Nall.
"Brett was close with the backup. They were hunting bodies or whatever," Rodgers said, referencing Favre and Nall's shared ion for hunting. "So I was kind of the odd man out for a lot of that."
A lot of change
At 21 years old, Rodgers was adjusting to life in the NFL and dealing with the emotional fallout of going from a highly touted college star at California-Berkeley to a little-used rookie.
"I'm a California kid who's dealing with a major ego death of not being the starter anymore," he itted. "I can understand why I wasn't first choice to hang out with. But it was definitely a shock in a lot of ways."
Mentoring Love
Ironically, Rodgers would later find himself in a similar position as Favre. In 2020, the Packers shocked the league when they drafted quarterback Jordan Love in the first round - much like they had done 15 years earlier with Rodgers.
Rodgers' reaction was just as emotional as Favre's had been. He itted on "Aaron Rodgers: Enigma" that he was stunned when his agent texted him, "Quarterback." Rodgers responded by pouring himself a glass of tequila to process the moment.
But unlike Favre, Rodgers took a more active approach in ing Love. Packers head coach Matt LaFleur later praised Rodgers' conduct, saying, "He welcomed Jordan with open arms and he was a mentor to him. I never asked him to do that. None of our coaches asked him to be that."