Aaron Rodgers may be focused on his Achilles rehab and the New York Jets, but he hasn’t lost his penchant for poking fun at the Chicago Bears, a longtime rival.
During an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” Rodgers shared that he couldn’t resist sending a message to Packers quarterback Jordan Love after Green Bay’s Week 1 victory against the Bears at Soldier Field.
Just post the clip… pic.twitter.com/rizGV4G46c
— Ryan Evans (@RyanEvansESPN) September 22, 2023
With a smile, Rodgers recounted his message to Love, saying, “I said congratulations on keeping the ownership in place. That was pretty awesome for him.”
Throughout his 15 seasons as the Packers’ starting quarterback, Rodgers amassed an impressive 24-5 record against the Bears. He’s notably remembered for emphatically declaring, “I still own you!” after sealing a game with a touchdown at Soldier Field in 2021. In Love’s first start as Rodgers’ successor, he threw for 245 yards and three touchdowns, contributing to the Packers’ 38-20 triumph over the Bears.
Aaron Rodgers says on @PatMcAfeeShow that he texted Jordan Love after the Week 1 win over the #Bears:
"Congratulations on keeping the ownership in place." pic.twitter.com/IXj5KvLKy0
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 22, 2023
Rodgers, who’s known for his playful jabs at the Bears, expressed his happiness in seeing Love continue the Packers’ tradition of giving Chicago fans a tough time.
Reflecting on Love’s performance, Rodgers stated, “I didn’t see the (Atlanta) Falcons game, but I did get to see a decent part of the Bears game,” Rodgers added. “I thought (Love) played excellent, and I was really happy for him. Green Bay quarterbacks have made fans of Chicago’s days and nights pretty miserable, and I’m happy to see him picking up where I left off.”
Robert Saleh "hopes" that Aaron Rodgers will be back in the building with the Jets next week pic.twitter.com/UICMeUGkrU
— Jets Videos (@snyjets) September 22, 2023
Unfortunately, the day after sending that congratulatory text, Rodgers suffered a torn left Achilles tendon in the Jets’ opening game, leading to season-ending surgery just two days later. As he updated his rehab progress, the 39-year-old mentioned that he’s no longer in a cast but still in a walking boot and unable to walk independently.
He expressed hope that once he can walk, he’ll be able to return to the Jets’ facility. Coach Robert Saleh anticipates Rodgers’ return to the building next week.
Some of the players already lost to serious/season ending injuries this season:
– Aaron Rodgers
– Nick Chubb
– Trevon Diggs
– CJ Gardner Johnson
– JK Dobbins
– Shaq Thompson
– Avante MaddoxInjuries suck man. pic.twitter.com/vT0ycX0GeT
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) September 21, 2023
“Trying to get out of the boot is kind of the next goal so I feel the strength to be able to stand up on my own,” Rodgers said. “Then the boot comes off and then it kind of gets exciting. I think then you feel like you’re not just a big turd laying around, everybody taking care of you. So that’ll be nice.”
While Rodgers previously expressed defiance, suggesting he might “shock” people with his recovery and possibly return for the playoffs, he now takes a more measured approach.
“I don’t want to get caught into a timeline,” he said. “I just want to get healthy, honestly, mentally and physically, honestly. But I’m going to do everything I can rehab-wise to put myself in a position to be ready to play football again at some point. And that’s the goal.”
Aaron Rodgers texted Jordan Love after beating the Bears…
"Congratulations on keeping the ownership in place." pic.twitter.com/qJk3Wn5Zuf
— Eli Berkovits (@BookOfEli_NFL) September 22, 2023
“I mean, obviously, when this happened, there’s a lot of thoughts about, ‘That’s it, cash it in, you’re done.’ I just don’t feel like I am, so I’m going to put myself in position to be able to play again.”
