Aaron Rodgers On Packers Drafting Jordan Love: ‘Not Gonna To Say I Was Thrilled By The Pick’
May 15, 2020, 1:54 PM | Updated: 1:55 pm
Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers speaks with head coach Matt LaFleur during the second half of the NFC Championship game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium on January 19, 2020 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
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SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers said he was surprised and not necessarily thrilled after the Packers selected former Utah State QB Jordan Love in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Rodgers spoke to media members on Friday, May 15, about the only franchise he’s ever played for drafting his heir-apparent during April’s NFL Draft.
“I was watching the draft… and I think the general reaction at first was surprised,” Rodgers said. “I think like many people you know obviously, not gonna say I was thrilled by the pick necessarily but I understand. The organization is thinking not only about the present but about the future and I respect that. You know, I understand their focus and their mindset. Obviously they thought that he was such a great talent that they needed to go up and get him. So you know, like I said, generally surprised but you know it’s what those guys are paid to do. To put together a roster for now and for the future as well.”
“General reaction at first was surprise. I’m not gonna say that I was thrilled by the pick.” – Aaron Rodgers on the Packers' selection of Jordan Love pic.twitter.com/QbaDEKaslM
— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) May 15, 2020
Rodgers continued by saying that the Packers’ decision to draft Love was “truly something” out of his control. The 16-year veteran said that if the timetable for him to retire from the NFL doesn’t align with Green Bay’s schedule for Love, Rodgers could see himself playing for another organization.
“You can only control what you can control and it’s always been a mantra for myself and I think any great athlete. There’s just things that are out of our control. That’s obviously something that’s very important to me but I think is definitely telling at this point that is truly something that is out of my control. What I can control is how I play and making that decision at some point a very hard one. If I were to retire on the organization’s timetable then it’s an easy decision but if there comes a time where I still feel like I can play at a high level and my body feels great then there’s other guys who have gone on and played elsewhere.
“You can only control what you can control… If there comes a time where I still feel I can play at a high level and my body feels great then there’s other guys who have gone on and played elsewhere.” – Aaron Rodgers on retiring as a Packer pic.twitter.com/ljlJLkUlj0
— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) May 15, 2020
Recently, former Super Bowl champion quarterbacks Brett Favre and Steve Young spoke about the relationship Rodgers and Love have been thrust into.
Brett Favre on Rodgers and Love
Favre, a former teammate of Rodgers, told the NFL Network’s Rich Eisen that he spoke with Rodgers after the Packers selected Love with No. 26 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 23.
“I’m not going to talk about all that we talked about, but he was … let’s just say surprised that they went in that direction,” Favre said.
Favre also said that Green Bay ” burned a bridge” with Rodgers by drafting his potential successor.
“Green Bay’s not going anywhere without Aaron Rodgers in the next few years,” Favre said. “If he plays like we expect him to play, they’ve got a shot with or without a first-round receiver. So I would do all I could to not burn that bridge, and I don’t think they did that. I think they burned a bridge that’s going to be hard to overcome. At some point, I think it will rear its ugly head.”
"I think (the #Packers) burned a bridge that's going to be hard to overcome." –@BrettFavre on Green Bay drafting Jordan Love in the 1st Round: pic.twitter.com/2digBEEsJ6
— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) April 29, 2020
Favre added that he believed Rodgers would finish his NFL career with another team.
Steve Young on Rodgers and Love
Recently, former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Steve Young said that he thinks there will be what he calls “creative tension” between Love and Rodgers.
“The calculation is that it’s gonna bring out the best in Aaron. It’s called creative tension,” Young said. “As long as it’s not toxic tension, which it possibly could be, I think it becomes creative tension. You get the best of Aaron Rodgers.”
.@SteveYoungQB says there will be “creative tension” between @packers QBs Aaron Rodgers and Jordan Love. #AggiesAllTheWay #GoPackGo @kslsports
📹: NFL Network pic.twitter.com/3zDYyJHvei
— Kyle Ireland (@kyleireland) May 8, 2020
The former BYU and San Francisco 49ers quarterback said that he believes the Packers drafted Love to send a message to Rodgers and to push him next season.
“Let me be honest with you,” Young continued. “I do believe that Aaron was getting a message and I think that message has been received loud and clear and I think that they’re expecting that the push from Jordan.”
Love spoke with Rodgers
During the second day of the 2020 NFL Draft Love joined ESPN and ABC’s Maria Taylor and said that he spoke with Rodgers after Green Bay selected him the night before.
“Yeah, I was able to talk with him earlier,” Love said. “You know, really good guy. [He was] just congratulating me, and I was just letting him know that I was excited to be able to work with him.”
