Green Bay faces off against Pittsburgh on Sunday afternoon in a game that may not seem special for any reason. However, it will actually mark a historic achievement in the long, storied career of Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Up to this point, Rodgers has started a game at Lambeau Field against 30 of the NFL’s 31 other teams. The single one he’s missing? You guessed it… the Steelers.
Finally, the Stars Align
The Packers meet each team in the AFC on a four-year basis, rotating back and forth for home and away games. Thus, in his seventeen years in the league, Rodgers has only had four chances to play the Steelers in regular season matches. Only two of those games were played at Lambeau, but he didn’t participate in either one.
When Green Bay hosted Pittsburgh in 2005, Rodgers was a newly-drafted rookie behind Brett Favre and never took the field. In 2013, he missed the Packers’ next home game versus the Steelers as well, having broken his collarbone weeks earlier.
Now, it’s 2021. Another eight years have passed. Barring any injuries suffered in practice this week, Rodgers will start a home game against the Steelers and put a checkmark next to the 31st team.
Wildest little factoid from this week's #Packers dope sheet…
Sunday will be QB Aaron Rodgers’ first career start
against the Steelers at Lambeau Field. It is the only team in the league he has not started against at home.— Wes Hodkiewicz (@WesHod) September 29, 2021
Looking Ahead
Sunday’s game will actually be the first time Rodgers has faced Pittsburgh since defeating them in Super Bowl XLV in 2011. He suffered his second major injury in 2017, sidelining him for that year’s game against the Steelers too.
“It is strange how that happened, ’13 and ’17 obviously breaking my collarbone and [missing] both of those games,” Rodgers said Wednesday when asked about not having played the Steelers in nearly 11 years.
This year’s Green Bay and Pittsburgh squads seem to be trending in opposite directions at the moment. The Packers looked atrocious in week one, but appeared much improved in their next two wins. On the other hand, the Steelers notched a convincing win against a talented Bills team week one, then dropped their next two games.
Can Aaron Rodgers lead his team to victory on the same night he marks a historic feat in his own career? We’ll find out on Sunday.
Go Pack Go!
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