Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is disappointed he’ll miss out on a chance to compete against Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, but he’s hopeful he’ll get another chance to face the reigning NFL MVP in four years.
Mahomes won’t play against the Packers on Sunday night.
“Yeah, for sure,” Rodgers said when asked by Mike Tirico of NBC Sports if he’s disappointed about the missed opportunity. “We play these teams in the AFC once every four years. I’m hoping I’ll still be around in four years. I’m not worried about him being around in four years. He’s going to be around for a long time.”
Mahomes, who dislocated his kneecap last Thursday night in Denver, was officially ruled out for Sunday night’s matchup on Friday, ruining the primetime showdown between two of the most talented quarterbacks in the history of the sport.
Unless the Packers play the Chiefs at some point in the Super Bowl, the two teams won’t play again until the 2023 regular season. Rodgers, who turns 36 in December, has a contract with the Packers that runs through the 2023 season.
Many have compared Mahomes to the Packers’ two-time MVP quarterback, including Rodgers and coach Matt LaFleur.
The respect from Rodgers’ side runs deep.
“I have a ton of respect for his game. I think he’s a fantastic player,” Rodgers said. “He’s a supreme talent.”
Mahomes threw 50 touchdown passes and led the Chiefs to a 12-4 record as a first-year starter last season, earning him NFL MVP and first-time All-Pro honors. He threw 15 touchdown passes and just one interception in his first seven games of 2019.
Rodgers said he appreciates many of the same stylistic differentiators in Mahomes that have made him one of the NFL’s most ruthlessly efficient quarterbacks.
“I appreciate guys that can extend plays and throw from every platform,” Rodgers said. “I don’t think there’s any throw that too difficult for him, right or left handed. He’s done it all. He’s shown his incredible talent. He’s got it all. Just a matter of putting a ring on that finger and cementing himself.”
