As he potentially looks ahead to the next phase of his career, Monday was a momentous day in Aaron Rodgers’ NFL career. Why? It was an important anniversary in the resume of an all-time great! (One who probably won’t but should consider retiring soon.)
That’s because, on Feb. 6, 2011, Rodgers captured his first and only Super Bowl championship with the Green Bay Packers. Obviously, winning a title is cause for celebration on any occasion, especially with how hard it is to actually capture a Super Bowl.
But considering that Rodgers has captured four MVPs and qualified for four First-Team All-Pro selections ever since, Monday’s 12th anniversary of the only time he ever climbed the NFL’s top summit had a different vibe. After all, once they defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl 45, it was presumed Rodgers and the Packers would be a February mainstay. Like, say, what Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs have achieved in the last half-decade.
Instead, Rodgers and the Packers have not only failed to win a Super Bowl since then; they haven’t appeared in one either.
That turned Monday’s anniversary into football fans collectively wondering what went wrong in the 12 years the Packers had a bona fide Hall of Fame quarterback but couldn’t win another Big Game. Don’t worry: there is no shortage of blame to go around.
NFL fans couldn't believe all of Aaron Rodgers' playoff failures on the 12th anniversary of his only Super Bowl win
12 years since Super Bowl XLV.
Imagine telling someone on the night of Feb. 6, 2011 that Aaron Rodgers would play the next 12 years in Green Bay (and win 4 MVPs) but the Packers wouldn’t go back to the Super Bowl.
Wouldn’t have believed it
— Zach Kruse (@zachkruse2) February 6, 2023
A perfect encapsulation of just how hard it is to get back to a Super Bowl. https://t.co/4HPb9xreCw
— Josh Collier (@J_Collyay) February 6, 2023
Absolutely colossal organizational failure. Magnificent in its ineptitude. https://t.co/ofOFk5AgMG
— Is This the Krusty Krab? (@SixPieceTaye) February 6, 2023
this should be pointed at ted thompson, arguably much more than a rod https://t.co/WHddiUkFhL
— mike gilson (@gills3333) February 6, 2023
Too many years of awful defenses 😔😔 https://t.co/0TppJ1DxNg
— Jordan Greenland (@80Driver4life) February 6, 2023
We are living in the one timeline where everything that could have gone wrong went wrong to stop the Packers from getting back to the Super Bowl https://t.co/bpiv36BNXq
— Willie Jones (@biggg_will73) February 6, 2023
This is so sad. 2011 was the most fun year to be a Packer fan and it hasn’t quite been the same since https://t.co/cbuiLvyRVr
— Zach (@zbwsox) February 6, 2023
My biggest struggle as a Packers fan. I go back and forth between “It’s hard to get to/win the Super Bowl” and being a bit irritated watching Mahomes play in his third one in five years as a starter. https://t.co/1VrivBa9tJ
— Chris Wanless (@chris_wanless) February 6, 2023
Rodgers also had same wild advantage as Brady: a division with three bad clubs and no star QB for over a decade. It essentially placed him in the postseason every year. Brady validated regular season dominance in January/February. Rodgers didn’t. https://t.co/ydu7QCa3Pe
— DaBearsBlog (@dabearsblog) February 6, 2023
Most people look at this the way of saying it was a failure.
The way I look at it is it's ok to be semi disappointed from that, but also.. it's made me more appreciative of how hard it is to win.
Not as easy as Brady/Bill/Bucs made it look. https://t.co/TUuaWhgDfp
— Jacob Westendorf (@JacobWestendorf) February 6, 2023
Twelve years ago today we celebrated this together but had already started thinking about the next one.
It never came.
The Packers not getting back to a Super Bowl since is one of the greatest sports failures we will ever see pic.twitter.com/AAi5rjlHGK
— Bart Winkler (@WinksThinks) February 6, 2023
Me today seeing all the #Packers posts reminiscing about Super Bowl XLV pic.twitter.com/Km6QGLRWD3
— 𝐽𝐸𝑁 𝑀𝐴𝐶𝐾 🧀 (@BigMack_4) February 6, 2023
If you had told me that night in 2011 that Rodgers and the Packers would never even get back to another Super Bowl, I would’ve laughed you off the planet. But, here we be.
— LempsMKE (@itsjustChrisnow) February 6, 2023
12 years ago today, the #Packers won the Super Bowl.
Said a victorious Aaron Rodgers, "Now that I’ve got one, it’s like, ‘Now what?’ Let’s go get another one."
They haven't got "another one." They haven't even been back. And who knows when they will.https://t.co/Po73aKoKfy
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) February 6, 2023
So many football "experts" predicted that Rodgers and the Packers would become another dynasty after this game. Oh, how wrong they were. 😂 https://t.co/wIYtUUg1Vh
— Ted Saydalavong (@TSayda) February 7, 2023
If you would’ve told me that this was the ONLY Super Bowl that Rodgers would win for us, I would’ve laughed at you… sad that he never delivered and sad that management never surrounded him with all the weapons he needed offensively and defensively. https://t.co/o70vuvqzvC
— Tyler Nutter (@tnutter11) February 6, 2023
This team was loaded and they only won one Superbowl.
Aaron Rodgers
Greg Jennings
Jordy Nelson
James Starks
Donald Driver
James Jones
Jermicheal Finley
BJ Raji
Charles Woodson
Clay Matthews
AJ Hawk
Cullen Jenkins
Nick Collins
Tramon Williams
Atari Bigby
Amazing O-line. https://t.co/hhYrcMRiG9— Adam Overholt (@AdamOverholt96) February 6, 2023
