WATCH: Aaron Rodgers has some unresolved beef with 49ers
Aaron Rodgers is not only known for his greatness as an NFL quarterback but also for his ability to play with a chip on his shoulder, despite being a three-time NFL MVP.
Rodgers' Green Bay Packers face the San Francisco 49ers this weekend in the NFC Divisional Round of the playoffs, and there is a score to settle with the 49ers for Green Bay's No. 12.
Rodgers was famously snubbed by the 49ers in the 2005 NFL Draft for former NFL quarterback Alex Smith. The Packers' quarterback had the following words right after being selected by Green Bay as the 24th pick:
"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.”
Here's the bite from the interview during which the Packers quarterback made the comment:
“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
As successful as Aaron Rodgers has been in the NFL, he has yet to defeat the San Francisco 49ers in the playoffs. He currently has a 0-3 record against the team of the state where he was born and raised.
Rodgers' first playoff defeat against the 49ers was in the 2012 Divisional Round of the NFC playoffs. The 49ers were coached by current Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh and had by Colin Kaepernick as their quarterback.
During that game, Kaepernick set a record 181 rushing yards for a quarterback in the playoffs as the 49ers rushed to a 45-31 victory.
In 2013, the Packers and the 49ers once again met each other, but this time in the Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs. During that game, 49ers field goal kicker Phil Dawson kicked three field goals and San Francisco out-lasted Green Bay to win by a score of 23-20.
In 2019, the Packers again found themselves battling their rivals. But this time, the stakes were at their highest, with the winner advancing to Super Bowl LIV.
Like many of their previous playoff matchups, the game came down to which team was the most successful running the ball. San Francisco running back Raheem Mostert rushed for a staggering 220 yards and four touchdowns in a 37-20 rout of Green Bay.
Mostert became the very first NFL player to have over 200 yards rushing and four touchdowns in a playoff game.
Many of their storied playoff battles have come down to who runs the ball better, and this game may follow the same trend.
New from JSOnline and PackersNews: Dougherty: Deebo Samuel and the 49ers' potent ground game have the Packers' run defense on edge ift.tt/3fIjFSn #Packers
Will the three-time NFL MVP finally be able to defeat his demons and earn a playoff victory over the San Francisco 49ers?
Tune in on Saturday, January 23 at 8:15 p.m. EST on FOX to find out.