Ex-Packers QB Aaron Rodgers 'not happy' to see Lions win NFC North

Despite what you might think, New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers wasn’t exactly thrilled to see the Green Bay Packers fall off in his absence.

During his weekly hit on the Pat McAfee Show, Rodgers on Tuesday said he was “not happy” the Detroit Lions won the NFC North over his beloved Packers, who he still cheers for.

“Although I’m in New York, I definitely still want the green and gold to take the North every year,” said Rodgers, who won a Super Bowl and four MVP awards over an 18-year tenure in Green Bay.

The Lions on Christmas Eve defeated the Minnesota Vikings, 30-24, to claim their first division title since 1993. The Packers, meanwhile, squeaked past the Carolina Panthers to maintain a 28% chance at the Wild Card, per the New York Times’ playoff predictor.

Rodgers won eight NFC North titles and reached five NFC Championship games over his time as Packers starter from 2008-22. Though he wasn’t thrilled to see the Lions claim the division title, he couldn’t help but tip his cap to the new kings.

“They’ve got a good football team. Jared (Goff has) had a really nice season, obviously, (Amon-Ra) St. Brown is a fantastic receiver,” Rodgers said. “They’ve got a lot of guys, two really good backs, Jahmyr (Gibbs’) had a really nice year and I’ve always been a fan of (David) Montgomery), the way he runs the ball, his toughness.

“Line’s really good on both sides of the ball, defense has playing good.”

Rodgers was traded to the Jets this past offseason in a blockbuster deal that concluded his reign of terror over the NFC North. The Packers were kept out of the playoffs in his final season after the Lions topped Green Bay at Lambeau Field in Week 18. 

Rodgers’ second act in New York lasted all of four plays. He suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in the season opener against the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football. The Jets are 6-9 after shuffling the deck at quarterback all season long, at one point starting ex-Lions backup quarterback Tim Boyle.

The extra time off has apparently allowed Rodgers to have a thorough understanding of the NFC playoff race. 

“(The Lions have) got a good football team. They’re gonna host a playoff game. I think the NFC is pretty deep, I think we can all agree on that, right?” Rodgers said.

“Philly’s been up and down. Dallas has been up and down. Detroit’s had their moments, too, where they haven’t looked great…so I think the NFC’s pretty wide open.”

nbianchi@detroitnews.com

@nolanbianchi

Lions at Cowboys

▶ Kickoff: 8:15 p.m., Saturday, AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

▶ TV/radio: ESPN/ABC/97.1

▶ Records: Detroit (11-4), Dallas (10-5)

▶ Line: Cowboys by 6