What Aaron Rodgers promised Packers QB Jordan Love after 2020 NFL Draft

Earlier this summer, both Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur and quarterback Jordan Love discussed how Love spending the bulk of his first three pro seasons serving as Aaron Rodgers' backup helped prepare the 25-year-old for life as an NFL starter.

For a piece published on Wednesday, The Athletic's Matt Schneidman shared how the relationship between the signal-callers began when Rodgers reached out to Love the morning after the Packers somewhat controversially made the Utah State Aggies product the 26th overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft.

"'Look, man, I know it’s not the ideal situation right away for you, but I know what it’s like to be in your position,'" Rodgers told Schneidman about what he said to Love. "'We’re gonna have some fun together. I’m gonna help you out.' So just trying to alleviate any nerves he might have. I was in that position, so I knew it wasn’t his fault. He didn’t ask to be picked by the Packers."

Of course, Rodgers was quite familiar with Love's situation. Long before Rodgers became a four-time regular-season Most Valuable Player Award winner and a future Hall of Famer, Green Bay made him the 24th overall selection of the 2005 draft when Brett Favre was atop the club's depth chart and not yet ready to retire. Rodgers had to wait until after the 2007 season before the Packers made him their QB1.

"I was really quiet in my meetings," Rodgers said about his early days in the league. "I just didn’t wanna interrupt anything … nobody ever said, 'Hey, Aaron, this is why this happened or this is why I’m doing this,' so I learned from that and I always said if I got that opportunity, I’m gonna do it how I would’ve wanted it."

Love watched and learned as Rodgers earned MVP honors for the 2020 and 2021 seasons. Green Bay later traded Rodgers to the New York Jets in April 2023, and Love then guided the Packers to a playoff berth and a road postseason win in his first campaign as a full-time starter en route to receiving a four-year, $220M deal from the organization this summer.

Critics may always believe Rodgers wasn't "a team player" either with the Packers or the Jets, but Love has millions of reasons to disagree with such takes.