Chicago Bears fans had plenty of incentives to hate Aaron Rodgers because he was a great quarterback. His Hall of Fame ability kept the Green Bay Packers dominant in the rivalry for another 15 years, prolonging fan suffering. What made it worse is that he relished it. His "I still f**king own you!" line a few years ago cut particularly deep because it was true. However, over time, it became apparent that Rodgers was easy to hate, not just because of his talent. Bears fans hated Brett Favre, but admittedly still respected him because of how he played the game.
Rodgers was different.
He was just so...unlikable. There was something about the guy that rubbed you the wrong way. Over time, it became clear what that was. Rodgers is a contrarian. He delights in doing all the things normal people don't. He's a drug addict, a conspiracy theorist, an anti-vaxxer, and disgustingly pretentious. Worst of all, he is an attention whore who tries to play it off like he isn't. People have slowly caught on to his schtick in recent years and are tired of it. His popularity is lower than ever. As it turns out, this isn't exclusive to fans. Even his union rep hated him. Daniel Kaplan of Awful Announcing revealed a wild story that proved it.
Rodgers was truly insufferable at all times.
He is clearly no fan of Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who publicly opposed the 2020 CBA, which narrowly passed 1,019-959 in part because of opposition to the addition of a 17th regular season game.
“The god of Cheesehead Nation was isolated and dismissive,” reads (Demaurice) Smith’s description of Rodgers in a players meeting. “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.”
Then there is this line, “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?”
Aaron Rodgers is losing relevance, and he can't stand it.
That is why he drew out the decision to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason. He didn't do it because he wasn't sure. Everybody knew he was all but certain to take the job. He did it because it ensured his name was constantly in the news cycle. This is a pattern Aaron Rodgers has followed for years, ever since it started becoming clear that he wasn't the top quarterback in football anymore. He's desperately trying to cling to his status as the man who can lift a franchise to greatness. He wants to go out like Peyton Manning and Tom Brady did.
Rodgers likely knows his legacy is falling apart. For all his brilliance in the 2010s and early 2020s, there is one inescapable truth. The best quarterback in NFL history can't be somebody with one Super Bowl ring. That cold reality probably eats at him more than anything. An ego that size can't handle it. So he keeps coming back, desperate to show people he's still got it even as everybody is telling him to please go away.
