FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sunday, October 27th, 2019

AARON RODGERS SPEAKS WITH MIKE TIRICO ON “FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA”

“I think it can make you a little bitter or it can make you better…It’s helped me to get better in a number of areas.” – Rodgers on learning a new system

“A lot of people wanted to write about stuff or make conjectures about how it was going to be. And those opinions never affected our relationship.” – Rodgers on his relationship with Matt LaFleur

Interview to Air on Football Night in America Beginning Sunday at 7 p.m. ET on NBC

WATCH: Full 20-Minute Rodgers-Tirico Conversation on NBCSports.com

Green Bay Packers Host Kansas City Chiefs Tonight on NBC’s Sunday Night Football in Battle of Two First Place Teams

STAMFORD, Conn. – Oct. 27, 2019 – Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers speaks with host Mike Tirico on tonight’s edition of Football Night in America, which begins at 7 p.m. ET on NBC. FNIA leads into Packers-Chiefs on Sunday Night Football on NBC at 8:20 p.m. ET.

In the interview, Rodgers discusses his relationship with head coach Matt LaFleur, learning a new offensive system, interacting with younger teammates and the disappointment of Patrick Mahomes’ injury.

Mike Tirico will host Football Night in America from NBC Sports’ International Broadcast Center in Stamford, Conn., alongside analysts Tony Dungy, Rodney Harrison, and Chris Simms, as well as NFL insider Mike Florio. Liam McHugh will co-host Football Night in America on-site from a new outdoor set outside of Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO.

Below are excerpts from Tirico’s interview with Rodgers. If used, please note the mandatory credit: “In an exclusive interview airing on Football Night in America.”

WATCH: Full 20-minute Rodgers-Tirico conversation on NBCSports.com.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM TIRICO’S INTERVIEW WITH RODGERS

Tirico: “There’s joy in that locker room. When’s the last time you felt that kind of energy around you and what you’re doing?”

Rodgers: “We just really enjoy each other. This is one of the closest teams we’ve had and definitely one of the closest teams that we’ve had in a long time. It’s just a new energy, there’s an excitement. Guys are having fun.”

Tirico: “I thought it was cool (last week) when Matt LaFleur said, ‘Hey, the old man even ran one in.’ It was just kind of a really neat moment…How has that relationship with your new coach grown?”

Rodgers: “It’s been great. I think a lot of people wanted to write about stuff or make conjectures about how it was going to be. And those opinions never affected our relationship…We laughed all along the way, and we had a lot of fun with it. And, you know, he’s got to be careful of ‘old man’ because he’s only about four years older than I am.”

Tirico: “What does the challenge of a new chapter in your football career do for somebody at this point in your life?”

Rodgers: “Well, I think it can make you a little bitter or it can make you better. And I think it’s helped me to get better in a number of areas.”

Tirico: “How do you try to help (younger teammates) deal with the, ‘Oh my god, that’s Aaron Rodgers. He’s not on TV, he’s in my locker room now and he’s throwing me the ball?’ Do you try to help them?”

Rodgers: “Well, I think that goes away pretty quickly when they get to know my personality…but a lot of these guys watched me win a Super Bowl when they were in junior high or maybe just starting high school.”

Tirico: “Do they ever tell you about that?”

Rodgers: “Yeah. That’s when I feel really old. You know, ‘I remember watching you in the draft. I was eight years old.’”

Tirico: “When you saw that (Patrick) Mahomes got hurt, was any part of you disappointed? Not just as another quarterback, but the chance to go head-to-head against each other?”

Rodgers: “Yeah, for sure…I think he’s a fantastic player. I enjoy the way he carries himself…And there’s a reason they might be trying to phase me out and move him as the new State Farm guy because he is that guy. I have a lot of respect and appreciation for his game and the way that he plays. He’s a supreme talent.”

–FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA–