Aaron Rodgers does not forget. We've known this about him for a while now.
Back in April, Bleacher Report's Tyler Dunne reported that Rodgers held a grudge against former coach Mike McCarthy because McCarthy was the 49ers' offensive coordinator in 2005 when the 49ers passed on Rodgers in the draft to take Alex Smith. On Monday night, we got another reminder that Rodgers does not forget about those he perceives to have wronged him. Not long after the Packers put the finishing touches on a 23-10 win over the Vikings in Minnesota, Rodgers explained why it felt extra special to reclaim the NFC North crown in Minnesota.
He still remembers how he was treated after breaking his collarbone in Minnesota two seasons ago.
"It feels great to win it in this stadium where a couple of years ago I was jeered leaving the field after breaking my collarbone," Rodgers said, per ESPN's Rob Demovsky. "Feels pretty good."
Apparently, before Monday night's game, the Vikings stadium played video footage of the injury.
Vikings show a short video shot of Aaron Rodgers getting hurt here a couple of years ago by Barr.
— Bill Michaels (@Bill_Michaels) December 24, 2019
Geeezzzz....
Here we go @Packers fans.
Two seasons ago, Rodgers suffered an injury that derailed his season when he endured a hard hit from Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr, breaking his collarbone as he went to the ground. Immediately afterward, the Packers took aim at Barr with then-coach Mike McCarthy calling the hit "illegal," and Clay Matthews, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, and Ahmad Brooks all suggesting that Barr's hit was unnecessary. The Vikings, of course, stood by Barr and characterized his hit as a normal football play. But Rodgers also claimed that Barr flipped him off as he left the field -- something Barr denied. The most important consequence of that play, of course, was the implementation of a rule that prohibits defenders from driving players into the ground.
Feel free to judge yet again if you think the hit was dirty:
Two years later, Rodgers and the Packers got their revenge with a dominant win over the Vikings that won them the division title for the first time since 2016. For that, the Packers can thank their defense, which sacked Kirk Cousins five times and limited the Vikings' offense to 139 yards, rendering Rodgers' lackluster performance insignificant. Rodgers completed only 26 of his 40 passes for 216 yards (5.4 yards per attempt), no touchdowns, one interception, and a 68.3 passer rating, but the Vikings' offensive ineptitude overshadowed his own struggles.
Unfortunately for the Vikings, Monday's result had to feel all too familiar. In Rodgers' career, he's 14-8-1 against the Vikings -- including 2-0 this season -- and in those games, he's thrown 43 touchdowns and only seven interceptions.
