Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Charles Rodgers is an American professional football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He played college football for the California Golden Bears, setting the school's record for lowest single-season and career interception rates before being selected by the Green Bay Packers in the first round of the 2005 NFL draft. He is regarded as one of the greatest and most talented quarterbacks of all time.
After backing up Brett Favre for the first three years of his NFL career, Rodgers became the Packers' starting quarterback in 2008. In the 2010 season, he led them to a victory in Super Bowl XLV over the Steelers, earning the Super Bowl MVP. He was named Associated Press Athlete of the Year in 2011, and was voted league MVP by the Associated Press for the 2011, 2014, 2020, and 2021 NFL seasons. Rodgers is the fifth player to win NFL MVP in consecutive seasons, joining Peyton Manning, Favre, Joe Montana and Jim Brown. Rodgers has led the NFL six times in touchdown-to-interception ratio ; six times in lowest passing interception percentage ; four times in passer rating ; and four times in touchdown passing percentage ; three times in total touchdowns ; twice in touchdown passes and once in yards per attempt and completion percentage. In 2023, Rodgers was traded to the New York Jets, where he spent two seasons with the team. Released by the Jets after the 2024 season, Rodgers signed with the Steelers, whom he led to a division title that season.
Ranking first on the NFL's all-time regular-season career passer rating list, Rodgers is among the most efficient quarterbacks of all time. Apart from a regular-season career passer rating of over 100, he also holds the best touchdown-to-interception ratio and the lowest passing interception percentage in NFL history while also having had the highest passer rating in NFL history throughout the entire 2010s decade. In the postseason, he is second in both touchdown passes and touchdown-to-interception ratio, fourth in passing yards, and eighth in all-time passer rating. In the regular season, he has the best touchdown-to-interception ratio in NFL history at 4.34, holds the league's second lowest career interception percentage at 1.4 percent and the highest single-season passer rating record of 122.5. Rodgers is also a four-time winner of the Best NFL Player ESPY Award.
Early life
Aaron Charles Rodgers was born on December 2, 1983, in Chico, California, the son of Darla Leigh and Edward Wesley Rodgers. His father is a Texas-born chiropractor who played football as an offensive lineman for the Chico State Wildcats from 1973 to 1976. Rodgers is of English, Irish and German ancestry. The family moved to Ukiah, California, where he attended Oak Manor Elementary School. Edward Rodgers tossed a football with his sons Luke, Aaron and Jordan Rodgers, and told them not to drink and not to party in college or they would limit themselves in sports like he did. Aaron took this advice to heart. At the age of ten, he was featured on the front page of the Ukiah Daily Journal for his top performance at a local basketball free throw competition.Later, the family moved to Beaverton, Oregon, where Rodgers attended Vose Elementary School and Whitford Middle School, and played baseball in the Raleigh Hills Little League at shortstop, center field and pitcher.
The Rodgers family returned to Chico in 1997, and Aaron attended Pleasant Valley High School, starting for two years at quarterback and garnering 4,421 passing yards. He set single-game records of six touchdowns and 440 all-purpose yards. Rodgers set a single-season school record with 2,466 total yards in 2001. He graduated from Pleasant Valley High School in spring 2002, after scoring 1310 in the SAT and with an A− average.
College career
Despite his impressive high school record, Rodgers attracted little interest from programs. In a 2011 interview with E:60, he attributed the relative lack of attention in the recruiting process to his unimposing physical stature as a high school player at and. Rodgers wanted to attend Florida State and play under head coach Bobby Bowden, but was rejected. He was only offered an opportunity to compete for a scholarship as a walk-on from University of Illinois. He declined the invitation, and considered quitting football to play baseball instead or giving up entirely on the idea of playing in professional sports and attending law school after completing his undergraduate degree.He was then recruited to play football at Butte College in Oroville, a junior college about southeast of Chico.
Butte
2002 season
Rodgers threw 26 touchdowns in his freshman season at Butte, leading the school to a 10–1 record, the NorCal Conference championship, and a national ranking. While there, he was discovered by the California Golden Bears' head coach Jeff Tedford, who was recruiting Butte tight end Garrett Cross. Tedford was surprised to learn that Rodgers had not been recruited earlier. Because of Rodgers' good high school scholastic record, he was eligible to transfer to the University of California, Berkeley after one year of junior college instead of the typical two.California
2003 season
As a junior college transfer, Rodgers had three years of eligibility at Cal. He was named the starting quarterback in the fifth game of the 2003 season, beating the only team that offered him a opportunity out of high school, Illinois. As a sophomore, he helped lead the Golden Bears to a 7–3 record as a starter.In his second career start, Rodgers led the team to a 21–7 halftime lead against #3 USC. Due to injury, Rodgers was replaced in the second half by Reggie Robertson. The Bears won in triple overtime, 34–31. Rodgers passed for 394 yards and was named game MVP in the Insight Bowl against Virginia Tech.
In 2003, Rodgers tied the school season record for 300-yard games with five and set a school record for the lowest percentage of passes intercepted at 1.43%.
2004 season
As a junior, Rodgers led Cal to a 10–1 record and top-five ranking at the end of the regular season, with their only loss a 23–17 loss at USC. In that game, Rodgers set a school record for consecutive completed passes with 26 and tied an NCAA record with 23 consecutive passes completed in one game. He set a Cal single-game record for passing completion percentage of 85.3. Rodgers holds the Cal career record for lowest percentage of passes intercepted at 1.95 percent. Rodgers' performance set up the Golden Bears at first and goal with 1:47 remaining and a chance for the game-winning touchdown. On the first play of USC's goal line stand, Rodgers threw an incomplete pass. This was followed by a second-down sack by Manuel Wright. After a timeout and Rodgers' incomplete pass on third down, USC stopped Cal's run play to win the game. Rodgers commented that it was "frustrating that we couldn't get the job done." Overall, he finished the 2004 season with 2,566 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. His 66.1% pass completion percentage led the Pac-10. He finished ninth in Heisman Trophy voting.After Texas was picked over Cal for a Rose Bowl berth, the fourth-ranked Bears were awarded a spot in the Holiday Bowl, which they lost to Texas Tech, 45–31. After the season, Rodgers decided to forgo his senior season to enter the 2005 NFL draft.
College statistics
Professional career
2005 NFL draft
Rodgers was expected to be selected early in the 2005 NFL draft as he had posted impressive numbers as a junior with Cal, throwing for 2,320 yards with a 67.5 completion rate in the regular season. He threw for 24 touchdowns and only eight interceptions in his last college season, impressing many NFL scouts. They commented that he was a "talented strong-armed junior" who "combines arm strength, mechanics and delivery to make all the throws", but noted that his stats could be inflated due to playing in a quarterback-friendly system and that he would need to adjust to the more elaborate defensive schemes of the NFL.Before the draft, Rodgers was confident that he would be drafted to the San Francisco 49ers, the team he supported and grew up near, who possessed the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. The 49ers, however, drafted quarterback Alex Smith out of Utah instead, and Rodgers slid all the way down to the 24th overall pick by the Green Bay Packers. Rodgers has said that he experienced much angst and restlessness when waiting to be selected several hours into the draft, as he had expected himself to be selected much sooner. Rodgers' slip to the 24th selection and the Packers choosing to pick Brett Favre's future replacement became one of the biggest stories of the draft, though he was still the second quarterback selected. His drop in the draft was later ranked number one on the NFL Network's Top 10 Draft Day Moments. Many teams drafting between the second and 23rd positions had positional needs more pressing than quarterback.
Rodgers is one of six quarterbacks coached by Jeff Tedford to be drafted in the first round of an NFL draft, joining Trent Dilfer, Akili Smith, David Carr, Joey Harrington and Kyle Boller.
Green Bay Packers
Backup years: 2005–2007
In, Rodgers agreed to a reported five-year, deal that included in guaranteed money and had the potential to pay him as much as if all incentives and escalators were met.Rodgers spent his rookie season as the Packers' backup quarterback behind Brett Favre. The Packers were 4–12 at this point and he received his first extended look in the opening preseason game against the San Diego Chargers after replacing Favre. In his first NFL game, Rodgers completed two out of seven passes and was sacked twice. He continued to struggle through the preseason, before ending the preseason by converting two third downs and throwing a touchdown pass to tight end Ben Steele against the Tennessee Titans. Once the regular season began, Rodgers saw very little action that year. He played against the New Orleans Saints in the fourth quarter of a 52–3 victory, and completed his first career pass to fullback Vonta Leach for 0 yards. On Rodgers entered the game against the Baltimore Ravens at the end of the third quarter in a 48–3 loss. He completed eight of 15 passes for 65 yards and an interception.
After the Packers' losing season, head coach Mike Sherman was fired and replaced by Mike McCarthy. Rodgers was then placed in McCarthy's "Quarterback school" for six hours a day several times a week. This focused on working on Rodgers' motor skills such as hand-eye coordination, finger dexterity, and mechanics. McCarthy also worked on Rodgers' release point, moving it from right beside the ear hole of his helmet to further below it, to give him a smoother release. When the 2006 preseason began, Rodgers played as the backup in all four games; he completed 22 out 38 passes for 323 yards and three touchdowns. Rodgers saw very little action during the 2006 season, but did step in briefly on against the Philadelphia Eagles when Favre left the game due to injury. On Rodgers broke his left foot while playing against the New England Patriots in a 35–0 defeat at home, filling in for an injured Favre, and Rodgers missed the remainder of the 2006 season.
Following the team's season-ending victory at Chicago, Favre announced that he would stay with the Packers for the 2007 season, again postponing Rodgers' hopes of becoming the Packers' starting quarterback. Prior to the 2007 season, rumors surfaced about a potential trade involving Rodgers in which he would be traded to the Oakland Raiders for wide receiver Randy Moss. However, Moss was traded to the Patriots during the second day of the 2007 NFL draft, and Rodgers stayed in Green Bay.
Rodgers stepped in when Favre was injured in the second quarter against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday Night Football on. Rodgers completed 18 passes for 201 yards, with no interceptions. He also threw his first touchdown pass but was sacked three times. Rodgers brought the team back from a 17-point deficit to a 3-point deficit, but the Cowboys went on to win 37–27.