Remember the days when Aaron Rodgers was worshipped in Jets colors? He was supposed to be their man to lead them out of the darkness that hovered over Metlife Stadium for 13 years. But look at them now. Although four games remain in their season, the Jets have nothing left to play for. They are virtually out of the playoff race. And Aaron Rodgers’ stock has sunk to its lowest since he arrived in East Rutherford.

But it wasn’t supposed to be this way when he left the Packers to join the Jets in 2023. With Super Bowl ambitions in his mind, Rodgers decided to close his 18-year chapter with Green Bay. And we can not really say that it was a cordial one. The relationship between Green Bay and their former franchise quarterback was strained for a number of years. The 2022 offseason was just the final nail in the coffin.

Rodgers said he was undecided on what he wanted to do before he underwent his darkness retreat last offseason. He was considering retirement, returning to the Packers, or looking at a new team. But according to Rodgers, once he came out of his retreat, the Packers made it clear where they stood with him and his future with the team. “When I came out, it was evident that it was retire or move on to a new team,” Rodgers said. Then came a set of claims and counter-claims.

In March, 2023, the Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said the team attempted to contact Rodgers on multiple occasions, but could not. Rodgers countered by saying he didn’t receive any calls or FaceTimes from anyone in the organization. This disconnect eventually resulted in the two sides separating their paths. But it seems that the marks of that not-so-nice exchange still remain as former Packers offensive tackle David Bakhtiari has supposedly found out that Green Bay doesn’t even follow their four-time NFL MVP anymore. But is it just for Rodgers? Probably not.

Another former Packers guard, T.J. Lang, wrote on X, “I was just about to say something super nice about my @packers. But I realized they unfollowed me, and I’m a bitter person so nope.” Lang spent almost 7 years in Green Bay. Here Bakhtiari chimed in on Lang’s post, seemingly trying to soothe him. “If it makes you feel any better, they don’t even follow A-Rod anymore.”

Interestingly, the Packers will soon have Rodgers as their future Hall of Famer. But the way he left after delivering consecutive MVP seasons was always going to leave a bitter taste in their mouths. In his last season with the Cheeseheads, Rodgers had only 3,695 yards with 26 TDs. His 12 interceptions in 2022 were his second-highest ever in the NFL. They also missed out on the playoffs, thereby leaving Green Bay with no other option but to trade Rodgers. However, when Lang retired, the Packers came up with a heartwarming message although he was with the Detroit Lions at that point.

“We want to congratulate T.J. on a wonderful career, one that he earned every step of the way through hard work and dedication. During his eight seasons in Green Bay, T.J. was a consummate professional who played a great role both with his play and as a terrific teammate and leader. We wish T.J., his wife, Laura, and their family all the best,” Gutekunst had said back then.

A fourth-round pick for Green Bay back in 2009 out of Eastern Michigan, Lang cracked the Packers’ starting lineup full-time at guard in 2011 and went on to start a total of 94 regular-season games for Green Bay, 105 including postseason. He finished his career having received two Pro Bowl selections, one in 2016 with the Packers and again the following year with the Lions. Many teammates in Green Bay thought that his initial Pro Bowl recognition came considerably late. Interestingly, Lang played all five positions on the offensive line in an NFL game.

As a rookie, Lang got his first NFL starts at the tackle positions as an injury replacement but then settled in at guard two years later. After the 2012 season, he switched from right guard to left guard and played the rest of his career there. He also filled in as an emergency center at one point. As for Rodgers, he didn’t really get what he had hoped for in New York. However, the Packers are having one of their best seasons under Jordan Love.

Jordan Love’s Packers are way ahead without Aaron Rodgers

Although the Lions have almost wrapped away the NFC North title, the Cheeseheads are not far away from their postseason spot. The Packers, who have a record of 9-4 before facing the Seahawks in Seattle, could easily make the playoffs with a few more wins on their bag. Looking at their 4 losses, all of them were close encounters. Two of them came against the high-flying Lions, while the other two were against the Vikings and the Eagles.

Going back to week 1 in Brazil, the Packers had a 2-point lead in the second half. However, they couldn’t hold onto it and ultimately went on to lose 34-29 in Sau Paulo. Now, back to their most recent loss against the Lions in week 14. If not for Dan Campbell’s final quarter 4th down gamble, maybe the Packers could have come away with a victory.

And what about Jordan Love, the eventual successor of Rodgers in Green? He averages 247.6 passing yards per game this season. With a pass completion rate of 62.8%, Love has thrown 21 passing TDs. However, his 11 interceptions still remain a cause for concern. As they prepare to face the Seahawks in week 15, a win can help them keep the playoff race open. Otherwise, they could fall behind the hugely competitive NFC this year.