Aaron Rodgers stated he is "bummed out" that his upcoming matchup against the Green Bay Packers will not take place at Lambeau Field. Rodgers, who is expected to retire after the current NFL season, had expressed a strong desire for his final game against his former team to be held in Green Bay.
The Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers are set to face off in their preseason openers on Thursday in Pittsburgh. Rodgers, a 42-year-old quarterback, spent 18 seasons with the Packers, winning a Super Bowl in 2011 before moving to the Steelers.
"When I heard it was possible to play both my former teams, I was really hoping this one was going to be in Green Bay, not just to get back at Lambeau one more time, but to head out to Chives for a dinner and maybe head out to Green Bay Country Club for a quick nine or something," Rodgers told reporters on Wednesday. "I was really hoping it was going to be in Green Bay for a lot of reasons."
Rodgers also noted the missed opportunity to reconnect with former colleagues. "It would have been strange, being in [the visitors] locker room and stuff, but I would have found my way over, like many former players have over the years and see some of the guys and see some of the trainers and equipment staff and all the people I really care about that still work there," he added. "I was definitely bummed out that we weren’t in Lambeau for this one."
This season marks Rodgers' final year in the league after 22 seasons. He was reunited with Mike McCarthy, who replaced Mike Tomlin as the Steelers' head coach. Rodgers and McCarthy previously worked together for 13 seasons with the Packers before McCarthy's departure after the 2018 season.