10 times Aaron Rodgers went god mode on football field

Here are ten plays that perfectly capture the greatness of Aaron Rodgers over his 21-seasons in the NFL.

10 times Aaron Rodgers went god mode on football field

Aaron Rodgers (Image via NFL/X)

Championships do not define greatness, while they make a great argument while addressing an athlete’s legacy, ultimately it is the impact they have on their team that determines their greatness. In the case of Aaron Rodgers, he will have cemented his name as a first-ballot Hall of Fame player when he chooses to retire.

The former Green Bay Packers quarterback finds himself in a rough spot, career-wise, but that does not take away from the terror the ‘Bad Man’ caused to opposing defenses through the years. Aaron Rodgers is just one of two NFL players to have won four MVP Awards.

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It is hard to round up a handful of his best plays throughout his career because of how efficient he has been. Rodgers’ has gotten accustomed to having at least one highlight throw every game, but here are 10 plays that truly left fans speechless:

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10. Super Bowl pass to Greg Jennings

Before Davante Adams, there was Greg Jennings. One of Rodgers’ favorite targets, the chemistry between this duo, was one of the key reasons Green Bay made it to the Super Bowl in 2011.

Aaron Rodgers (2)
Aaron Rodgers (Image via Bleacher Report)

Jennings had made the Pro Bowl that year and had a regular season with 1,265 yards and 12 touchdowns. In the second quarter of Super Bowl XLV when the Packers had a comfortable 18-point lead over the Steelers, Rodgers connected with Jennings on a 21-yard touchdown reception.

The reason this play is special is that Jennings had Troy Polamalu guarding him. If it were any other quarterback in Rodgers’ shoes, they would have looked the other way after seeing Polamalu, but the man had faith in his receiver and threw a textbook bullet pass to him that landed right in Jennings’ arms! One cannot teach this stuff!

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9. Touchdown pass against Jacksonville

Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams have a connection that is second to only Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski. In week 1 of the 2016 NFL season, the Packers went up against the Jacksonville Jaguars, one of the best defensive teams.

It was not going to be easy for them to score, but then again, nobody would dare doubt Aaron Rodgers in this sphere. As soon as the ball was snapped, Rodgers found himself in trouble as the offensive line nearly collapsed.

Jalen Ramsey was able to find a gap in the O-line and, within no time, he grabbed Rodgers’ jersey while the quarterback was about to throw the ball. Now one does not need to be Albert Einstein to figure out how challenging it may have been to throw the ball forward when a force is attempting to pull you back.

Despite Ramsey tugging onto his jersey, Rodgers threw an accurate pass to Davante Adams, who made the play better by making one of his best touchdown catches. The more one sees the play, the harder it is to believe that it is real.

8. Rushing touchdown against Vikings

There are quite a few adjectives that can be used to describe Aaron Rodgers, but all of them will relate to his arm strength, his football IQ, and his accuracy. He belongs to the conventional class of QBs who are not mobile and rely on throwing the ball. The man has 35 rushing touchdowns in his career, however, the longest is a memorable one.

In 2022, the quarterback showed the world that he has a sturdy pair of legs. The Vikings were certain that Rodgers would not run the ball under any circumstance and as they played tight zone coverage, there was no receiver left open.

The quarterback noticed this quickly and as the pocket collapsed, he dropped back just to turn and rush into the endzone along the left side of the field. It was fascinating to watch because there was absolutely nobody in front of him and the Vikings were so confident that an aging Rodgers would sooner run out of bounds than take a risk scrambling that they took no precautions to ensure pressure on him if he ran.

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7. Game-winner against Dallas

Rodgers loves to go up against teams that have a lot of hype surrounding them. The Dallas Cowboys are one franchise he has cherished beating in his career due to their stature and moniker of being ‘America’s team.’

In Week 5 of the 2017 regular season, as the Packers trailed by 3 points with 16 seconds left in regulation, the game was all but over. The Packers had possession and were 15 yards away from the endzone. It was a nail-biting moment, for any other quarterback but not for Rodgers.

As soon as the ball was snapped into his hands, he wasted no time in locating Davante Adams who raced into the endzone and leaped into the air to catch the ball. It was poetry in motion. Rodgers anticipated where Adams was going to be perfect and his accuracy was on the dot.

6. 17-point comeback against Chicago

Rodgers made sure to demoralize the Bears in their first week of the 2018-19 NFL season. The quarterback suffered an injury early on in the game and this allowed the Bears to go up 20-3 on their divisional rivals. Fortunately for him, he was able to return to the field in the final quarter.

What happened over the next 15 minutes will be impossible to forget. Rodgers went on to orchestrate a 17-point comeback in 15 minutes. He threw three touchdowns and led the Packers to a one-point win (24-23) over the Bears. No matter how high the odds were stacked against him, Rodgers overcame them and this game is evidence that he should never be counted out.

5. 2013 King of the NFC North

Aaron Rodgers was out for the final stretch of the 2013-14 regular season due to a knee injury. However, the final game of the season was a must-win for Green Bay, as it would have given them the NFC North title over the Chicago Bears.

The rivalry between these two teams is nothing short of a cinematic thriller. Rodgers was coming back after his knee injury in the final week and the matchup did not disappoint. With under 50 seconds left in regulation, Chicago was up 28-27, but the game was not over. Green Bay had possession of the ball and Rodgers threw a 48-yard pass to Randall Cobb, who scored a touchdown and went on to win the game.

Plays like this really help in understanding why the Bears franchise genuinely despises Rodgers. This play and the 24-5 overall record he has against them.

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4. Six-touchdown half

For 99% of NFL quarterbacks, throwing six touchdowns in one game would equate to having a career night. How do you top that? Six touchdowns in an entire game is amazing.

Not if you’re Aaron Rodgers. The standard is higher, six touchdowns in a game does not sound that good but six touchdowns in one half, now that is the stuff of legends. Something lights up within Rodgers when he goes up against Chicago. In 2014, Rodgers lit up as he threw six touchdowns in the first half of a regular season game against the Bears.

He led Green Bay to six touchdowns on their seven possessions. It was a field day for the Packers’ receivers as five of them got an opportunity to score. The Packers decided to give the quarterback a break in the second half and he fell short of throwing for more touchdowns.

3. Hail Mary against Detroit

Aaron Rodgers makes a serious case for changing the name of the Hail Mary play to Hail Rodgers. With four touchdown completions on one of the most uncertain plays in football, he has the most success in Hail Mary situations compared to any other quarterback.

In 2015, on just another Thursday night, Rodgers and the Packers went up against the Detroit Lions. The latter led 23-21 with under 10 seconds left in regulation. However, the Packers had possession of the ball and as the clock went down to 0, it was obvious that Rodgers was going to throw a Hail Mary.

The quarterback took his time and ran around the pocket to position himself for the 61-yard throw. Rodgers threw the ball right in the hands of a leaping Richard Rodgers in the endzone. The walk-off-touchdown left the Lions in disbelief. What makes this play more special is that it came one day after his 32nd birthday.

2. Game-winning drive against Arizona

In 2016, Aaron Rodgers did the unthinkable. He made it clear that if the game was within one score and there was any time left on the clock, no team was safe. As the Packers trailed by 7 points in the 4th quarter of the 2016 regular season game against the Arizona Cardinals, there were just 46 seconds left in regulation.

Aaron Rodgers and the Packers were starting their drive at their endzone. As soon as the ball was snapped, Rodgers risking a safety ran across the endzone and found Jeff Janis halfway across the field. On the very next play, Rodgers threw a Hail Mary and what happens next? Jeff Janis runs into the endzone and catches it for a touchdown.

Unbelievable. Insane. Ridiculous. The quarterback forced overtime when all hope was lost. Unfortunately, the Cardinals went on to win the game. However, Aaron Rodgers treated the world to two consecutive drives that will never be done again.

1. Sideline pass in the 2016 NFC Divisional Round

It is a good thing that Aaron Rodgers found football if not, he could have gone on to become a great sniper in the armed forces. If there was one play to prove just how accurate he is, the throw to Jared Cook in the 2016 NFC Divisional Round against Dallas says it all.

The score was tied at 31, with 12 seconds left in regulation. The Packers were a long way from scoring a touchdown situated at their 20-yard line. As soon as the ball was snapped, the quarterback looked to his left and hopped to the sidelines, looking for an open receiver. He found wideout Jared Cook at the end of a 35-yard pass.

The play was initially ruled as incomplete and was considered valid after further review. Props to Cook and Rodgers, the wideout bent his knees after dragging his toe along the sidelines to be careful about stepping out of bounds. The throw was beautiful as Rodgers placed the ball right where it was meant to be. The play went on to win the 2017 ESPY Award for Best Play.

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This play put the Packers in field goal range and the subsequent 51-yard kick was good, which meant they had beaten the Cowboys with under 3 seconds left in the game.