Two days after the Green Bay Packers were blown out in the season opener, Aaron Rodgers returned to “The Pat McAfee Show” and was open about the 38-3 loss, “a double nut shot” interception and his latest recommendation in the “Aaron Rodgers Book Club.”
Rodgers, wearing a Chuck Norris T-shirt that read “America wasn’t ready but he was,” is appearing on McAfee’s show every Tuesday afternoon on SiriusXM Radio. He provides insight into the previous game in a relaxed atmosphere where f-bombs and expletives are used as frequently as a Rodgers to Davante Adams completion. A.J. Hawk, Rodgers’ former teammate in Green Bay, is McAfee’s co-host.
Here are seven takeaways from Tuesday’s conversation.
Aaron Rodgers describes ‘rough’ one in 38-3 loss to New Orleans
So what the hell happened in Jacksonville, McAfee asked Rodgers right out of the gate.
Rodgers said it “was one of those days” where if you play long enough you’re going to have have one of those performances.
“We had one of those last year as well,” Rodgers recalled. “We’ve had a couple rough ones in Florida (Green Bay lost on the road to Tampa Bay 38-10 during the regular season in 2020). He said two-thirds of the text messages he received after the game reminded him that the Buccaneers also lost to the New Orleans Saints, 38-3, last year and won the Super Bowl. Rodgers said maybe that’s “trying to make chicken salad out of chicken (expletive).”
He said the offense was “bad,” and defensively “we couldn’t get off the field.”
“It was 17-0 and we’d run 12 plays,” Rodgers said. “One of those weird games where it seems like the clock is running the entire time. We had a good drive (to start the second half) and then I throw a pick.”
Rodgers’ first interception was caused by a ‘double nut shot’
Yes, let’s talk about that interception. We know Rodgers doesn’t like to throw interceptions. Before Sunday’s game he only threw 89 in 6,587 passes. That’s just one every 74 passes. In fact, he only threw two during the entire 2018 season. So what happened Sunday, especially that first one as the Packers were on the doorstep of scoring to start the second half, trailing at the time 17-3? Rodgers explained it wasn’t about anything X’s and O’s related.
“I don’t like to make a lot of excuses, there’s some (expletive) ones, there’s some ones you want to have back,” Rodgers said. “That was due to the double nut shot I took.”
“I guess I have to overcome that and throw a better ball. That was a painful one. They got their money’s worth on that one.”
Rodgers said he feels “good” Tuesday and added he doesn’t think he took many other shots in the game, for which he credited the offensive line.
He said the last time he wore a cup playing football was in the eighth grade. “Definitely thought about wearing” one again after Sunday, he added.
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Rodgers says he still feels confident in this Packers team
“Yeah, I do,” Rodgers said. “That’s why I’m back. Feel good about everything that we’ve done in the offseason. Training camp was solid. We had good practices.”
Rodgers called the loss “a good learning lesson for us.”
He also recognizes a game like Sunday allows everyone on the outside to second guess decisions made in training camp and preseason after the team got its (expletive) handed to it.
“Right now we’re taking it on the chin,” Rodgers said. “Pretty soon it will be flipped. I’m confident and excited and love these guys. I’m a competitor. This game is about how you respond to the negativity usually more than how you’re hailed for your successes.”
Rodgers’ book club continues with ‘Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman’
Rodgers is taking his love of reading to the airwaves. Each week he is recommending a book to listeners to encourage more people to read and have deep conversations. Last week it was the fiction international bestseller “The Alchemist.” This week it’s Jon Krakauer’s biography on Pat Tillman titled “Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman.” Tillman left the NFL following the 9/11 terrorist attacks to enlist in the Army. He served in Iraq and Afghanistan and died of friendly fire in 2004. Rodgers called the book “special” to him and said he had to go to Barnes & Noble to get his recent copy since he’s given away the book so often.
Rodgers called Tillman “an inspiration” to him and like him, “a deep thinker.” Hawk said he grew out his hair earlier in his career to pay homage to Tillman.
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Rodgers would be happy to bring back ‘Reading Rainbow’
Given his passion for reading, would he like to host a show about literature? LaVar Burton, one of the guest “Jeopardy” hosts over the last year along with Rodgers, hosted the popular “Reading Rainbow” on PBS across 21 seasons beginning in 1983.
Hawk asked Rodgers if all this reading talk is shade at Burton. Rodgers laughed.
“If he got the ‘Jeopardy’ job that would be great,” Rodgers said. “If I got the ‘Reading Rainbow’ job that would be great as well.” “Reading Rainbow” has been off the air since 2006.
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Rodgers doesn’t come out for pregame warmups anymore
Rodgers referenced pregame situations, including warm-ups and chatting with players and coaches on the other team. Rodgers said if he would come out before next week’s “Monday Night Football” game against Detroit, he joked he “might have to wear some knee pads.” That’s a reference to new Lions coach Dan Campbell, who said at his first news conference in January that “we’re gonna kick you in the teeth, and when you punch us back, we’re going to smile at you. And when you knock us down, we’re gonna get up. And on the way up, we’re going to bite a kneecap off.”
Rodgers might want to protect his kneecap in warm-ups but he also doesn’t come out much anymore because “I don’t feel like I need a lot of throws to get warm.”
He added “a lot it turns out to a hangout session. I’d rather just stay inside, zen out, get some stretching, text A.J.”
Hawk wanted to ask Rodgers how he felt being pulled from the game
Hawk will likely bring up one more question about the Saints game to Rodgers next week. After Rodgers’ interview ended, Hawk realized he wanted to ask him how it felt being replaced by Jordan Love with the game well out of reach.
We’ll have to tune in next week to find out his answer.
Contact Christopher Kuhagen at (262) 446-6634 or christopher.kuhagen@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ckuhagen and our newsroom Instagram accounts at MyCommunityNow and Lake Country Now.
