There was a time when a Packers–Lions game felt like three matchups in one. First, the usual—Packers vs. Lions. Then you had Aaron Rodgers trying to outsmart Detroit’s defense. But the real show? Rodgers vs. Ndamukong Suh. Every snap felt like a standoff. It wasn’t like Suh was chasing sacks, which, of course, he was doing as well. But let’s be real, the man was sending messages.
Late hits, stomps, and death stares turned every face-off a must-watch showdown. Remember the 2014 clash between these two? Yeah, the one where Rodgers was already nursing a calf injury. And to make it worse, Suh stepped on it, not just once. Twice. The NFL dropped a suspension on Suh, who then appealed, claiming that his feet were numb from the cold. Suspension reversed, fine issued, and Rodgers?
Still limping. But he kept getting up. Long story short: the Rodgers-Suh rivalry wasn’t just physical. It was psychological warfare, and Rodgers knew that pretty well. Fast forward to now, and many quarterbacks are probably taking a sigh of relief, given the Lions’ former DT is no more chasing sacks on the gridiron after his last season in Philly.
But whenever you ask Rodgers about the dirtiest player he ever played against, there’s a high possibility he’s going to name Ndamukong Suh. That’s exactly what happened when a fan asked him about the player he feared most. Rodgers’ response? Well, first, he cleared that “I wouldn’t say feared because it’s hard to admit you’re scared of somebody.” And then he confessed that you had to watch out while playing against Suh.
“However, anytime we played the Lions when Ndamukong Suh was on the field… You had to watch out. You had to watch out. One of the dirtiest players in the history of (NFL),” he added. Let’s be honest, Suh was one of the two most feared defensive tackles in the league (the other being Aaron Donald). And whether fair or not, the guy developed a reputation for being mean and borderline dirty—a psychological edge that a few defenders had in the league. The result?
Well, his availability was insane. The man showed up in 191 games out of 193 in his first 12 seasons. He amassed 600 tackles and 71.5 sacks in his entire career so far and earned 5 Pro Bowl honors. And yes, along the way, he had a fiercest rivalry with Aaron Rodgers. Just like that, Suh became Rodgers’ toughest opponent in the league. But the plot thickened.
Besides his fearsome rival, Rodgers also confessed his favorite player whom he played against.
There’s only respect and praise for Charles Woodson from Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Rodgers and Charles Woodson’s relationship was one of a kind. The two played with each other for seven seasons in Green Bay and later found themselves against each other during the final seasons of Woodson. But did that change Rodgers’ opinion on the NFL legend as a player? Absolutely not. He once said, “He made me a lot better player,” about Woodson.
Fast forward to now, and even though the former Packers’ cornerback has hung up his cleats, he’s still Rodgers’ favorite player that he played against. Yes, for a brief time, but still, Woodson was Rodgers’ favorite opponent. “Uh, play against probably Charles Woodson,” Rodgers said when a fan asked him his favorite opponent.
NFL, American Football Herren, USA Denver Broncos at New York Jets Sep 29, 2024 East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers 8 throws complete pass to wide receiver Garrett Wilson 5 against the Denver Broncos in the second half at MetLife Stadium. East Rutherford MetLife Stadium New Jersey USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xRobertxDeutschx Broncos Jets RD 1728
“Hall of Famer, but he transformed the game… but I think he was a little better playmaker. A guy who could blitz off the edge, who could cover outside, who could cover in the slot, who could force fumbles, uh, and he would he was a menace in practice cuz he’d just be out there lulling you to sleep and then he’d be throwing a couple picks to him all the time… So, he’s the best player I’ve played against.” Well, it’s not hard to see why Rodgers feels like that.
When the quarterback was still backing up Brett Favre, he dreaded practice reps against Woodson. “I got to work on my look-offs and my no-look passes against Charles, because if you weren’t aware of where he was at on every single rep, he would make you look bad,” he once recalled. The highlight of his gameplay? Picture this: the guy’s out there making it look like he isn’t paying any attention. But it’s a trap.
Just when you, as a quarterback, feel comfortable and throw the ball—bam—he’ll jump right back in to intercept it. Diabolical. So, no doubt Rodgers spent a pretty chunk of time in practice with him. But let’s be real—when Charles Woodson was lined up against Aaron Rodgers, the quarterback knew exactly what kind of chaos was coming.
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