Even In A Loss, Pittsburgh Is The Best Place For Aaron Rodgers

Maybe this is conscionable 1 personification seeing what he wants to see. Maybe this is nan networks and nan convention coalescing astir a societal media strategy hellbent connected exclusively pumping affirmative contented of Aaron Rodgers hugging group from his past. But I near Sunday’s Steelers meltdown, a 35–25 nonaccomplishment to nan Packers, pinch a unusual peacefulness regarding Aaron Rodgers that I’ve not felt—and, I wonderment if he has not felt—in almost half a decade. Certainly, nan aforesaid tin beryllium said astir nan squad that fto him spell 3 seasons agone and nan backmost who replaced him and group an absurd franchise grounds for consecutive completions successful his first matchup against his erstwhile teammate.  

You usually dislike those group who insist that life has a inclination of moving out—clearly calved earlier nan advent of A.I.—but successful this circumstantial case, it has. Before our eyes, we’re getting nan chance to spot a fitting, non-embarrassing, socially digestible profession finale for 1 of nan game’s all-time awesome players, which, I’ll insist, could not person happened anyplace else. Especially successful Green Bay. I judge it was Tom Brady Sr. who erstwhile wisely said that there’s nary measurement for it to extremity well. But Rodgers seems to beryllium challenging that narrative, moreover connected an imperfect Pittsburgh roster that, by nan week, is showing its deleterious levels of maturity and deficiency of squad speed, but will still inevitably clasp connected for a bow-out playoff game. 

In fact, nan bad boy quality of Rodgers’s post-Packers travel ensured that it could extremity well. I don’t cognize if he’s nan benignant of personification tin of being surgery down, but anyone who survives nan Jets at their absolute worst—much for illustration a personification whose location has been torched aliases personality stolen—tends to summation a very elemental appreciation for life’s elemental pleasures. In Rodgers’s case, simply nan expertise to beryllium 1 driblet of h2o successful a flowing stream. A squad that makes it intolerable for him to scope for his worst and astir destructible impulses. You know, nan ones that defined his extremity successful Green Bay.

I situation you each to deliberation backmost astatine nan extremity of nan Rodgers–Mike McCarthy era, aliases nan Rodgers–Matt LaFleur era. The passive aggression astatine each property conference, each lawsuit betwixt snaps, each tedious mid-week tv appearance, hung successful nan aerial for illustration a benignant of omnipresent fog. And while Rodgers would undoubtedly still beryllium doing incredible, theatrical, mind-bending feats pinch nan football, it was a spot for illustration watching The Dark Knight after having a bad bent pinch Bruce Wayne (just inquire mediocre Harvey Dent, who was truthful earnestly excited astir getting that reservation). The spectator is truthful acutely alert of nan imperfect, combustible quality of it each that it limits nan imaginable for joy. 

On Sunday, Rodgers was either ideally, deliriously mislaid successful nan shot game, for illustration erstwhile he spiked nan shot to nan turf for an incomplete walk a nanosecond earlier hitting nan turf aliases was truthful incensed astir a blatantly missed offside telephone that he astir convinced nan officials to propulsion a emblem post-caucus, aliases he was—again, my read—just enjoying nan thought of eluding personification for illustration Micah Parsons. As personification nearing 40 myself, those small aureate moments of still-got-it athleticism are held onto for illustration priceless family heirlooms. 

After nan game, he was perfectly complimentary of Jordan Love aggregate times. He revealed, successful a motion to Packer fans, that nan guidance was truthful large that he had to usage silent threat counts astatine home. 

In short, Rodgers sounded for illustration a backmost whose edges person been sanded. A early broadcaster. A transportation man for security and play clubs and murphy chips. I had hoped Pittsburgh would not alteration him, because we should each beryllium who we are, but facilitate nan beingness of a Rodgers that doesn’t person to consciousness truthful slighted, aliases untrusting, aliases passive-aggressive for illustration he did successful Green Bay.

Aaron Rodgers (right) complimented Jordan Love’s ratio pursuing their matchup, saying that his successor successful Green Bay was “outstanding” connected Sunday. / Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

And, connected a akin level, Green Bay was immersed successful everything it was allowed to become aft nan departure of Rodgers. Amoebic connected some sides of nan ball. Balanced, to immoderate extent, financially. Uninhibited by nan walking-on-eggshells manner of a small-town squad trying to appease a subordinate who had go bigger than everything other successful agrarian Wisconsin. Run-heavy erstwhile it suits them. In position to make gigantic, franchise-altering trades. A developmental roster done and through. 

There is an alternate beingness where, for illustration nan Steelers not truthful agelong agone pinch Ben Roethlisberger, Green Bay is simply gritting teeth, waiting for nan aged man to determine it's clip to go.  

It’s important successful moments for illustration these to spot done nan wins and nan losses. In letting spell of Rodgers, Green Bay envisioned doing thing it could intelligibly nary longer conceive of with Rodgers: go heavy enough, multifaceted enough, young enough, free capable and, sure, uncynical capable to build a roster that could legitimately contend for nan Super Bowl. 

Mission accomplished, truthful far. Sitting atop nan NFC astatine 5-1-1, pinch nan Panthers coming to municipality a week from now, is astir arsenic bully arsenic it gets. 

In coming to Pittsburgh, Rodgers, whether he would for illustration to admit it aliases not, wanted a high-floor proposition that would let him to front retired sans a sour sensation successful his mouth. In watching nan man astatine nan podium Sunday nighttime and remembering nan 1 galore lifetimes ago, I would opportunity ngo accomplished arsenic well. 

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