Old clip proves just how much Aaron Rodgers wants to beat the 49ers
The 2005 NFL Draft was all about who would fly off the board first between Utah's Alex Smith and Cal's Aaron Rodgers. The San Francisco 49ers held the top pick and had a franchise-altering decision to make.
As we know now, the 49ers went with Smith. Rodgers, then, kept falling and falling until the Green Bay Packers took him at No. 24 overall. The Northern California native immediately had a grudge against the team that passed on him in favor of Smith.
This rivalry is back in the headlines as the 49ers and Packers are set to square off in the Divisional Round this weekend. Ahead of the game, an old clip has resurfaced showing just how much the Packers quarterback enjoyed the chance to take down the team that didn't want him.
“How disappointed are you that you will not be a 49er?”
“Not as disappointed as the 49ers will be that they didn’t draft me.”
— Aaron Rodgers #GoPackGo
https://t.co/UGSag6wQ92
His desire to stay in California and play for the 49ers was no secret. But he made it clear on draft day that the team would regret that decision for the rest of his career. That type of attitude has carried over into a great run in Green Bay.
Aaron Rodgers still proving the 49ers wrong
Smith was never able to live up to the hype in San Francisco. He appeared in a total of two playoff games with the team before ultimately being replaced by Colin Kaepernick. He, then, found success with the Kansas City Chiefs, only to be replaced by Patrick Mahomes.
Rodgers had a unique start to his career as he had to wait until his fourth season to assume the starting role over Brett Favre. It then only took him three more years to win a Super Bowl during the 2010 season. He won his first NFL MVP award in 2011 and has only been elite since then.
Yet beating the 49ers in the postseason has eluded him all these years. Rodgers fell to the 49ers in the 2012 Divisional Round. He fell to them again the following year in the Wild Card playoffs. San Francisco, then, took down Green Bay in the 2019 NFC Championship Game.
Friendly reminder: Aaron Rodgers is 0-3 vs the #49ers in his playoff career. I'm just tweetin', is all ...
He now gets another shot and will play in the friendly confines of Lambeau Field. He has a shot to end the Jimmy Garoppolo era and can finally stick it to the team that passed up on him. While the 49ers have eliminated him in past postseasons, they still have not won a Super Bowl since the 1994 season. Rodgers was able to win his lone title in the 2010 season.
The Packers quarterback has been outspoken since his first day in the NFL. Now fans are hoping he can finally take down the 49ers and provide everyone with some great quotes about how the team should still be bummed they passed up on him nearly two decades ago.
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