Kevin Kiley (KK): My position on the GB Packers were, was, is Aaron Rodgers coulda waited, they shoulda kept Brett Favre, he took em to the NFL title game last year, it was DUMB to let him get away, and that AaronMichael irvin Show | Aaron Rodgers Interview on Brett Favre Rodgers was put in a position unlike any other quarterback that has ever played the game.
Michael Irvin (MI): And I was the first to say after watching Aaron Rodgers step on that field in Dallas TWO years ago I came in the next day and said Ooh, oh my God, do you see what GB has. And everybody thought I was crazy then, cuz when you stepped on the field Aaron, and you started bringing the Packers back against the Cowboys I said Oh get him off the field and bring Brett back in so we could win this game. And from that day on I thought they shoulda made the move THEN to Aaron Rodgers.
KK: Yeah, and thats exactly right. He did say that.
MI: And let this team grow as a young team together with a nucleus and move forward and do great things herein. Aaron Rodgers its a pleasure to have you on the Michael Irvin show man.
Aaaron Rodgers (AR): Im glad one of you guys actually likes me.
MI: Yeah!
KK: Now dont go there. Its not like or dislike. I thought youre a terrific quarterback. I just thought they shoulda kept Brett another year because
MI: Aww, stop it, stop it.
AR: Where were you between likeMarch, and June?
KK: How do you mean? What, when he was retiring?
MI: When he was retired, came back, retired, came back, retired.
KK: I was feeling that Brett Favre, and I dont want this to be about me, I want this to be about you
AR: Well youre the one talking.
KK: but I thought that Brett Favre had the right
MI: The right!?
KK: to do whatever he wanted to do.
MI: The right?
KK: That was my feeling. What was your feeling on that Aaron?
MI: It amazes me the right!? isnt, what, arent were talking about football teams?
KK: He earned the right to do in Green Bay anything he wanted to do he wanted to retire, unretired, yes, no, yeh eh, when its time to play ball, if he wanted to come back and play ball, he should have been allowed to play ball.
MI: How can that not affect your football team? How can you say and Im asking you this Aaron to find out; hes in, hes out, hes in, hes out, hes in, hes out, hes in, hes out, how can how can that not how does that affect your football team?
AR: It does. How can it not affect it? I mean, when he flew into Green Bay the day afteror the day of the Family Night scrimmage, I mean that wastalk about an awkward locker room. I mean, Ive been the guy since March, you know? And then everybodys like well okay, whats gonna happen? Bretts gonna come back, hes gonna be the guy? Or Aarons gonna be the guy? Or theyll compete for the job? Nobody knowing whats going on, of course thats going to affect your football team.
MI: What was the relationship like with you, uh, and Brett?
AR: I was under the impressionthat it was good.
MI: Why would you say that you were under the impression?
3 second pause
AR: You know what We got along very well, especially the third year. UmmbutI just wishat some point hed reach out to me. Honestly.
KK: In what way? In what way do you mean reach out to you?
AR: Talk to me?
KK: He never talked to you?
AR: No.
KK: Never spoke to you?Aaron Rodgers Interview on Michael Irvin Show | Has Not Talked to Brett Favre in a Year
MI: Wait, wai, wai, wait. When you were playing together, how much speaking did he do with you.
AR: I mean, it was me and him. The last year, 07, we had no other quarterback on the roster, it was me and him, you know, wed see each other every day, jog around with eachother every day, you know he knew how I felt about him, that I had the utmost amount of respect for him, you knowand to not have talked to him in over a year? Thats disappointing.
MI: Through all of this, going back and forth, putting you in the position that you were in and it was a tough position it was a tough position because now youre sitting having to respect him for what he has done, dealing with it, and lets just get real here that the pain of him not calling, or talking, or saying this is whats happening, this is whats going onafter all of that, he still hasnt talked to you?
Pause
AR: No.
KK: Why do you think that is?
AR: Im not gonna speak for him, so I dont Im not sure.
KK: But I mean you must say to yourself, why doesnt Brett speak to me? What could it possibly be? I can see by the look on your face that clearly you dont think you did anything to be put in that position. So why do you think did you becomean automaticI dont even want to use the enemy, but, but, you were on the other side because you had that job? But do you think that thats the way he looked at it? And that you just, justnot speak to you? That seems odd.
AR: I dont know. Thats a question for him. Im not gonna put words in his mouth. But Im like I said, when we lost to the Giants, I mean, we left as friends, and, and, I havent talked to him in year so thats kinda where were at.
MI: Why will you not reach out to him?
AR: Oh, I did. I did.
MI: You called him and he didnt call you back?
AR: Yep.
MI: Im recoiling. I gotta come up with a question. You ask him a question.
KK: Yeah, well this is difficult because I dont wanna put Aaron in a I can see Aaron struggling with this. If this was television, you could see hes uncomfortable with these questions. I dont blame him because Brett Favre is Brett Favre and Aaron was was he a popular, was he popular on the team? There were reports that he was a little bit separate from the team and all that. Did you feel that when you guys were making that run for the NFC title? That he was separate from the other players?
AR: Ill be honest with you, I really dont want to go into that at all.
KK: Okay. Well lets talk about Aaron.
MI: Lets talk about Aaron. We appreciate your honesty there man, I appreciate
AR: No problem.
MI: your honesty, and I could see how difficult that must be for you because I know you admired him, I admired him, we all admired him. Soand, but you had the opportunity to work so closely with himand grab the crumbs of the knowledge that falls off his table. So, you know, naturally theres a closeness there so we appreciate your honesty with that man, but lets talk about this football season
Less than thirty seconds later, Irvin asks if Rodgers felt that, after losses, there were people wondering how things would be different if Brett Favre were still the quarterback. Rodgers responds that hes sure there were outside of the locker room, but not inside. Kevin Kiley then asks him if there was anything else in his life that could have prepared him for what he would face taking over for Favre. Rodgers responds emphatically.
AR: NO.
KK: How did you piece it together, just day by day?
AR: You know what? I just tried to realize that every time I got in front of the camera was an opportunity to get my message out, and to be myself, and to be real, and genuine, and try to handle it with as much grace and class as I could. I had a great support group. My other brothers, my best friend, I just stayed tight with my family, my guys on the team, and my, and my close friends back home.
MI: And you handled it just that way man, with grace and with class man. I cant tell ya I was a huge fan before you got here man, but you just grew with me, in a big way man. I appreciate you stopping by, I know everybodys grabbing on you man
AR: No problem, thank you.