Even though Aaron Rodgers has said that he doesn't view his first-ever game against the Green Bay Packers as a "revenge game", he has been going above and beyond to make sure he gets one over the organization he spent 18 years with. The Week 8 clash will certainly be the most important game of Rodgers' career since he left Green Bay in the 2023 offseason, and understandably, he is preparing accordingly.
Steelers insider Alan Saunders revealed that Rodgers had a different role than usual in practice during the week. In addition to his usual duties in preparation for the weekend's game, Rodgers was reportedly taking extra reps with the scout team to help the Steelers' defense prepare for the Packers' offense.
Aaron Rodgers Going Above and Beyond to Get Revenge on Packers on Sunday
Normally, the scout team consists of backups and practice squad players who mimic the upcoming opponent's offensive and defensive personnel to imitate game situations. Instead, Rodgers took matters into his own hands to show the Steelers defense what to expect.
Even though the Packers' offensive personnel has changed a lot over the years, the principles and the play-callers have stayed the same. Not only has Rodgers spent three seasons mentoring Jordan Love, but he has also spent years with Matt LaFleur and offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich. Knowing what the Packers want to do, the tempo they want to play in, and the go-to plays they want to run should certainly give the Steelers a slight advantage.
How big of an impact this advantage will actually make on the field, however, is less clear. Familiarity with the schemes and play-calling can be helpful, but the Packers coaching staff will also be ready with their counters. LaFleur and Stenavich also know that Rodgers will rely on his information from his time playing under them, so they should be preparing to catch him off guard.
The more fascinating part of this is the fact that a 41-year-old QB with a Super Bowl championship and four MVPs is still finding the motivation to play on the scout team. He may deny that he has any negative feelings towards the organization, and while that may be true, his competitive nature also clearly wants to prove a point, going against his successor.
Rodgers already beat one of his former teams this season, defeating the Jets in Week 1. He said that it was "nice", but added that it doesn't "come close to feeling how it's going to feel playing Green Bay," per ESPN's Brooke Pryor. Obviously, defeating the Packers would feel a lot better than just "nice" for Rodgers, but whether Love and LaFleur will allow him that feeling remains to be seen.