On  Sept. 8 of 2008, something rather someone happened that would change the NFC division forever.

It was on that day that Aaron Rodgers became the starting quarterback for the Green Bay Packers, and from that day on the Packers were at the top of the division and held a tight reign over the NFC North. 

Over his long career at Green Bay, Rodgers has accomplished so much, having great playoff success-even winning a Super Bowl in 2011. Rodgers also has four MVPs, two of them coming in back-to-back years in 2020 and 2021. However, what was most fascinating about his career in the NFC was his ability to be the ‘ bad guy’ in the division. He was a villain that would pick your team apart as you watched, and there was nothing you could do nothing but watch. 

Though he played his share of memorable games in the division such as the two miracles in Motown, his bully reputation was upheld largely against the Chicago Bears. Every time the two squared off in this rivalry game the best of Rodgers showed out, whether it was him passing, running, or spiking the ball, Rodgers always played at his best when against Chicago. Though many fans hated it and would curse him under their breath, they couldn’t help but respect that they were witnessing a generational talent that for so long had never waivered. 

That was until this past season. Though Rodgers had public complaints about the Packers organization in the past, he had always just played through it and done his thing. However, entering this past season, there was a lot of tension in the air regarding whether Aaron would stay following the season, especially after the departure of his number-one receiver Devonte Adams. Though it could be said that Rodgers historically hasn’t had much help in terms of a star wide receiver, however, he seemed different over the season. Though he got his annual win over the Bears, he seemed to struggle more than usual. His passes seemed slower, his release and tempo weren’t the same. It all came to a boiling point when Rodgers lost to the Lions in a game to go to the playoffs. 

After the loss, in true Rodgers fashion, Aaron committed to a week of darkness in which he had no access to the outside world and no access to the internet. While this was happening,  the New York Jets, a young team, was in the market for a quarterback and had been eying Rodgers and Lamar. With Lamar holding out with the Ravens, the Jets poured all their eggs into Rodgers. Though it took a lot of back and forth between both the teams and meeting some of Rodgers’s demands, the Jets finally captured Rodgers giving up first, second, and sixth-round picks. 

Now that the trade has been done, the NFC looks completely different-with the Bears and Lions seemingly picking up steam and the Vikings looking to build off their past success. However, only time will tell who won the trade.