Oct. 12--RENTON -- It wasn't the fairy tale that folks in Green Bay wanted. But the student replaced the beloved teacher, and the teacher has moved on to greener pastures.
That's the situation Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers finds himself in, taking over for Packers legend Brett Favre after Favre's return from retirement this summer forced Green Bay management into the unenviable position of ultimately trading their future Hall of Famer to the New York Jets.
Rodgers said the media spectacle that surrounded the team during training camp has subsided somewhat, allowing the Packers to focus on weekly game preparation.
However, Rodgers understands he'll be compared to Favre for the rest of his time in the NFL.
"I embrace those (comparisons)," Rodgers said during a conference call with Seattle-area reporters last week. "Any time I'm mentioned in the same sentence as him it's an honor. A guy who has played for that long and at such a high level, I know the comparisons will be there my entire career. And I hope they will continue to be positive comparisons."
So far, Rodgers has met the lofty expectations, completing 65 percent of his passes and throwing for 1,274 yards, sixth overall in the league, with nine touchdowns and four interceptions.
"Aaron's played some good football," said Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy. "He had a rough go in Tampa Bay, but I think other than that he's played well. He's been very productive. He does a good job of managing the game and he stays inside the offense."
Like Favre, Rodgers learned to play with pain. The 24-year-old quarterback suffered a sprained right shoulder in a loss against the Buccaneers two weeks ago, banging his right arm against the turf while fully extended scrambling for extra yardage.
A first-round draft pick for the Packers out of California in 2005, Rodgers was effective last week while playing with the injury against Atlanta, passing for 313 yards and three touchdowns. He expects to do so again today against Seattle.
Following his doctor's orders Rodgers has not thrown this week. Rodgers said he played through injuries before, enduring a broken foot, a torn ACL and a broken index finger at different times throughout his playing days both at Cal and at Green Bay.
"When you're not the guy and you're not playing as much, you forget the kind of pounding that you take from week to week," Rodgers said. "There's nicks and bruises on all of us. I've had to fight through some injuries this year so far.
"It just puts a premium on taking care of your body and eating right, doing your treatment and playing with pain as well."
BigCountryDr 
