Draft day did not go as Aaron Rodgers had imagined.
Several weeks before the draft, Rodgers was already considered a top pick and it looked as if the California product would be drafted number 1 by his hometown team, the San Francisco 49ers.
Instead, Rodgers plummeted on draft day, falling to 23rd place where he was selected by the Green Bay Packers.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Speaking to FOX & Friends host Brian Kilmeade on the Brian Kilmeade Show, Ian O’Connor talked about this pivotal moment in Rodgers’ career, which he documented in his new biography, Out of the Darkness: The Mystery of Aaron Rodgers.
“It was humiliating. And of course it was on national television. It was the first NFL Draft, it was a reality show.”
His reception by the Packers was also less than ideal. Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre was the starter at the time, and it was no secret that he had no intention of mentoring the rookie.
“I think as a starter, my job is hard enough to win games and be a leader,” Favre said in an interview in 2015. “You’re not a babysitter.”
“Nowhere does it say you have to take this guy under your wing and show him how it’s done. You don’t have to do anything other than win games. Whoever you are the starting quarterback for, it really means nothing if you take a guy under your wing or not.”
FAMOUS AUTHOR DISCUSSES BIGGEST ‘CHALLENGE’ IN WRITING HIS NEW BOOK ABOUT AARON RODGERS
Aaron Rodgers, No. 8, of the New York Jets, looks on during an NFL football game against the Washington Commanders at MetLife Stadium on August 10, 2024 in East Rutherford, NJ. (Perry Knotts/Getty Images)
Rodgers only got a place in the starting lineup in his fourth season with the team and then found himself in the same position as his predecessor.
Fresh from winning the MVP award in the 2020 season, the Packers signed quarterback Jordan Love from Utah.
O’Connor talked about the stark differences between the way Rodgers treated Love and the way he was treated by Favre.
“(Rodgers) treated him a lot better than he was treated by Brett Favre, that’s for sure. And I think Jordan Love really appreciated that, and Aaron understood what it felt like to be in that position.”
BILLS’ JOSH ALLEN SAYS HE HAS ‘VIVID DREAMS’ ABOUT WHAT A SUPER BOWL PARADE WOULD LOOK LIKE IN BUFFALO
Aaron Rodgers, No. 12, and Jordan Love, No. 10, of the Green Bay Packers enter the field before a game against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on Dec. 25, 2022 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
“He was determined not to do the same to Jordan.”
As for Rodgers and Favre, their relationship is better now than it has ever been, O’Connor said.
“As far as the relationship with (Rodgers and Favre), it’s better now, much better than it was when they were teammates because they both basically got pushed out of Green Bay. And the pain that came with that and how that felt.”
After winning a Super Bowl with the Packers and four MVP titles with Green Bay, the Packers were ready to part ways with Rodgers.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Green Bay Packers No. 12 defensive tackle Aaron Rodgers shares a moment with former quarterback Brett Favre during a ceremony for the late Bart Starr during halftime of the game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on September 15, 2019 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
Before last season, the Packers traded Rodgers to the New York Jets so that Jordan Love could move up to the starting position.
Rodgers played four snaps with the Jets before tearing his Achilles tendon in the season opener.
The Packers open the 2024 season on September 6 against the Philadelphia Eagles in Brazil, while Rodgers’ Jets travel west to San Francisco to play the 49ers in the season opener on September 9.
Follow Fox News Digital Sports coverage on X and subscribe the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
