How Does Jordan Love Feel About Playing Against Aaron Rodgers and Steelers?

When Brett Favre signed with the rival Minnesota Vikings and faced Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers in 2009, a pair of grudge matches heightened the Border War rivalry.

From that perspective, history will not repeat itself when Jordan Love and the Packers face Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night, Oct. 26.

“It’s going to be fun,” Love told Channel 3000’s Jason Wilde at the American Family Insurance Championship golf tournament in Madison on Friday. “It’s going to be awesome. I’m excited for it.”

“I can’t wait to be on different sides, meeting up, and I know we’ll talk pregame, things like that. And, hopefully, we can exchange jerseys after.”

Rodgers made it official on Saturday when he passed his physical and signed with the Steelers on a one-year deal that could be worth up to $19.5 million.

While there was plenty of animosity built up between the Packers, Favre and Rodgers, there are no such hard feelings this time. When the Packers lost to the Lions in the 2022 finale, falling short in their rally toward a playoff berth, Rodgers trudged off the field as if he knew his Hall of Fame-worthy career with the Packers had come to an end.

It was time to hand the baton to Love, the team’s first-round pick in 2020, who had impressed in relief of an injured Rodgers in 2022 and progressed throughout the season on the practice field. So, Green Bay traded Rodgers to his preferred team, the New York Jets, before the 2023 draft.

Rodgers suffered a torn Achilles during his opening game against the Jets, missing the rest of the season. In 2024, he had the lowest passer rating of his career as the Jets finished 5-12. A housecleaning followed, with Rodgers swept out the door.

While it was fairly obvious all along that Favre wanted to join the Vikings, and that his 2008 season with the Jets was nothing but a layover to his preferred destination, Rodgers didn’t sign with the Steelers in order to get revenge against the Packers. Rather, Pittsburgh needed a starting quarterback to finally make some noise in the playoffs and Rodgers needed a job.

Love wasn’t “too surprised” that Rodgers signed with Pittsburgh.

“I was excited for him, that he was obviously coming back and going to be playing,” Love said. “There were also some rumors that he might be done, so just knowing he’s going to keep playing, that’s pretty awesome.”

When the Packers drafted Rodgers in the first round in 2005, Favre saw no reason to help the quarterback hand-picked to replace him.

When the Packers drafted Love in the first round in 2020, Rodgers made it a point to be a better teammate. While the four-time NFL MVP hoped to begin and end his career with the Packers, the ordeal with the three-time MVP Favre illustrated the business side of the game.

“I appreciate definitely the way A-Rod handled being in that situation, and I think a big part of it – which he told me – was he knew how it was for him being in that same position, and the things that he went through and the way the situation might’ve been handled [differently],” Love said. “I think his perspective was, ‘I’m trying to go about this a little bit differently,’ which I think was awesome.

“In my time with A-Rod, we had a great relationship. It was awesome being in the same room with him, being able to learn. He was amazing with everything. And I definitely appreciate the way he handled everything on the outside with obviously him leaving and me taking over, and he’s been very supportive of me [since].

“It definitely helped with some of the negativity that might’ve come with that. But A-Rod handled it like a pro and did very right by me.”

With the 2023 season approaching, Rodgers told Packers On SI that Love shouldn’t feel any pressure in replacing him as QB1.

“You feel the enormity of how the expectations are in Titletown, but it never feels like this incredible weight,” Rodgers said. “Especially on a young team. Not a lot of those guys played with me for a lot of years. It’s a really young team. So, there’s not like this deep-seated group of four or five guys that were with me for so long. That’s the nature of the NFL. There’s so much turnover. So, it’s never going to feel like this overwhelming sense of, ‘How do I fill this guy’s shoes? What do I have to do?’ I promise you, I know he feels the same way.

“And it’s not a slight to me, like it wouldn’t be a slight to Brett. It’s exciting. You’re the guy. … The shoes are never as big as you think they are. The mantle is never as heavy as you think it is. The crown is heavy of being the leader, but it’s not like living up to these expectations or whatever it might be around who I was or what I did. It’s all about him and what he’s doing and how he’s going to lead, and he’ll be just fine.”