The Detroit Lions captured the NFC North division title this past weekend, but New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers is not exactly in a celebratory mood because of it.
When asked about the Lions winning the division that he used to rule while with the Green Bay Packers, Rodgers said he was “not happy” about their success.
“Although I’m in New York, I definitely still want the green and gold to take the North every year,” Rodgers said on The Pat McAfee Show.
However, Rodgers was sure to compliment Detroit in spite of his gloom.
“But they’ve got a good football team,” Rodgers said. “Jared [Goff] had a really nice season. Obviously, [Amon-Ra] St. Brown is a fantastic receiver. They’ve got a lot of guys, two really good backs, Jahmyr [Gibbs’] had a really nice year, and always been a fan of [David] Montgomery, the way he runs the ball, his toughness. The Lions are really good on both sides of the ball. Defense has been playing good, so they’ve got a good football team.”
Of course, Rodgers spent 18 seasons with the Packers after being taken by the team in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He spent his first three years with the club as Brett Favre’s backup, but upon becoming the starter in 2008, Rodgers proceeded to lead Green Bay to eight division crowns.
Rodgers and the Packers mutually agreed to part ways this past offseason, and Green Bay ultimately traded the future Hall-of-Famer to the New York Jets.
The Jets were viewed as Super Bowl contenders with the addition of Rodgers, but the superstar ended up tearing his Achilles on the team’s first offensive series of Week 1, ending New York’s championship aspirations.
For the Lions, it was the franchise’s first division title since 1993 when they won the NFC Central—a division that dissolved in 2002.
Detroit also still has a chance of securing the No. 1 seed in the conference. It will take on the Dallas Cowboys this Sunday.
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