Packers’ Aaron Rodgers talks playing for rival Bears after draft pick

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Is a scorned Aaron Rodgers a spiteful one? Seems possible.

The longtime Green Bay Packers quarterback was asked during an interview with The Ringer on Tuesday if he would ever consider playing for his team’s biggest rival, the Chicago Bears, and his answer is likely to upset most cheeseheads.

“That’s a tough thought right there,” he said, laughing but not explicitly shutting the idea down.

Rodgers has previously said that he envisioned playing his entire career in Green Bay but after the Packers used their first-round pick to draft Utah State’s Jordan Love, the reality of his situation changed.

“That’s probably what happens, based on the circumstances around everything,” he said of the possibility of moving on after this season. “Just look at the facts. They traded up. They drafted him. I would say they like him. They want to play him. … I get it. I see it completely clearly and I’m not bitter about it. It kind of just is what it is.”

Chicago Bears outside linebacker Leonard Floyd (94) sacks Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) near the end of the second half on Sunday, Dec. 16, 2018 at Soldier Field in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune/TNS) (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service)

Rodgers said while the parallels between this draft and the year he was drafted when Brett Favre was the signal-caller are similar, Favre had talked about retiring whereas he is still in the game.

“I understand it’s a business, I understand the nature of the business. I’m not here advocating my spot by any means, that’s not going to happen. But I understand how the business works,” he said. “Was I bummed out? Of course. Who wouldn’t be?”

Despite this, Rodgers says he has nothing but respect for Love and that was something he wanted to convey to him after the pick.

He said, "I know what he is going through. The last thing you want is any negativity about realizing a childhood dream. I just told him, ‘Congrats, man. I understand what you’re going through. It’s super exciting. I’m excited to work with you,’ which I am.”