Steelers' Aaron Rodgers Isn't Fooling ESPN Analyst And Former NFL GM About Packers Game: "Own Personal Super Bowl"

The Pittsburgh Steelers enter Week 8 going against the Green Bay Packers in a highly anticipated matchup on Sunday Night Football. This matchup is significant for many reasons, but none more so than current Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers going up against his former team in the Packers. Rodgers has stated that this game isn't revenge to him, and that he's not thinking about the implications of playing against his former team in the slightest. However, there are many around the league who choose not to believe what Rodgers has told everyone.

Recently, former General Manager Mike Tannenbaum appeared on ESPN's SportsCenter to give his take on whether or not Rodgers was really being honest when he was asked about the idea of the upcoming game against the Packers being some sort of revenge game for him. Tannenbaum was asked by the hosts of the show whether his comments were honest or not, and Tannenbaum didn't mince words with his answer. He cited his time with former Packers quarterback Brett Favre as the reasoning for Rodgers' mindset.

"Guys, that is capital F fraud. I was with the Jets in 2008 when we traded for Brett Favre, who ironically was replaced by Aaron Rodgers. Iconic quarterbacks are easily aggrieved," Tannenbaum stated openly. "They are extremely sensitive. All we heard from Brett Favre is how much, you know, Green Bay made a mistake. And while Aaron Rodgers is saying the right things publicly, I promise you this means everything to him. This is his own personal Super Bowl Sunday night." 

Tannenbaum's comments regarding Rodgers aren't the only ones that have been made about Rodgers' remarks being taken for granted by the media. Most still believe that Rodgers will come into this game with a chip on his shoulder and some extra motivation to beat the team that gave him his first Super Bowl title, ironically, against the very team he plays for now. Rodgers beat the Steelers back in Super Bowl XLV by a score of 31-25 in one of the more exciting Super Bowl matchups of the 2010s. 

Even if Rodgers is or isn't looking for revenge against the Packers, one thing remains certain. The Steelers can send a message to the league by winning this game against the Packers where most don't believe they have the ability to do so, with the Packers having a 54.1% chance to win as of Friday morning -- while the Steelers sit at a 45.6% chance to win. However, the Steelers have been performing well on the offensive side of the ball in recent weeks, and if the offense can click the same way it has in recent weeks while the defense has a bounce back performance from last week's mishap, then the Steelers have the potential to shock the world. There is also one other factor that has been overlooked by most.

Steelers' Aaron Rodgers Historically Reigns Supreme On Sunday Night

Rodgers has been one of the best quarterbacks in recent history on Sunday Night Football, going 21-14 in his 21 years of playing in the NFL. Rodgers will certainly want to continue this trend of playing well on Sunday night against the Packers, even if he does not publicly state that he wants revenge against his former team. On top of this, the Packers have been unable to defeat the Steelers in Pittsburgh since 1970, adding even more stakes to a matchup that already features a high amount of them.

With how the offense has been clicking in recent weeks, momentum is on their side. The game against the Packers is a crucial one for both teams, as they are looking to separate themselves in their respective divisions, and a win would go a long way. Whether or not Rodgers is privately seeing this game as something more or not, it promises to be an electric matchup nonetheless.

What did you think about Tannenbaum's comments that Rodgers isn't being honest to the media about this not being a revenge game? Let us know in the comments or on X at @SteelersSwamp7.

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