Green Bay Packers fans are experiencing a bit of Deja vu this week. That would be because they are preparing for the same thing they experienced over 16 years ago. They are getting ready to watch their Packers face a legendary quarterback who led their team to victory many times for over a decade. Much like October 5th, 2009, when the Packers faced Brett Favre at the helm of the Minnesota Vikings, the Packers will be facing Aaron Rodgers at the helm of the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

But it just feels different this time. 

When Brett Favre parted ways with the Green Bay Packers after being traded to the New York Jets, it was very well known that Favre had no love for the Packers at the time. He made sure to publicly express his displeasure with the organization, and after his one season in New York, he sought to join the Minnesota Vikings as a way to get back at the Packers. Favre didn't hide it; he wanted to do everything he could to make the Packers look bad in the entire situation. While he took some of the Packers' fan base with him as they committed sacrilege in donning purple number 4's, the rest of the fan base, for the time being, turned against the "ole gun slinger." 

While cheering for a player to be injured is definitely not the sportsmanlike route, many Packers fans couldn't help themselves. They wanted to see Favre take a beating at the hands of the Packers' defense and be hauled off the field on a stretcher.  They felt betrayed by the man they supported for over 16 years. How could he so easily slap them in the face by going to their division rival, the Minnesota Vikings? He had to pay for his actions, and it was hard to find a Packers fan who disagreed. 

14 years after that game was played, much like himself, Favre's successor, Aaron Rodgers, was traded to the New York Jets. The departure felt very similar to Favre's, but there was a difference. Aaron Rodgers didn't seem to harbor any animosity towards the Green Bay Packers organization. There were times where Rodgers made it seem like the departure was mutual. Much like in Favre's departure, where the writing was on the wall that the Packers wanted to turn to Aaron Rodgers, the writing was there for Rodgers that the Packers were ready to turn to Jordan Love. Rodgers accepted this and took the high road by keeping any animosity he may have harbored to himself. At times, Rodgers has made comments appearing to be pulling for the Packers and Jordan Love's success. 

Fast forward two years, and now Aaron Rodgers is on the Pittsburgh Steelers. On October 26th, the Packers will be facing Aaron Rodgers for the first time since his departure, in Pittsburgh. Do Packers' fans want Rodgers to pay? Do they want to see him hauled off the field on a stretcher courtesy of Micah Parsons or Rashan Gary? The answer coming from the vast majority of the fan base is no. There are rumors that Rodgers tried to join the Vikings, but that never came to fruition. If it did, this could be a different story. But since Rodgers has kept his departure from Green Bay amicable so far, the hatred towards him being on the Pittsburgh Steelers, who the Packers face on Sunday, is slim to none. 

What to expect on Sunday

Matt LaFleur has completely downplayed any idea that this game is about revenge or proving the Packers' right in their decision. On Monday, he stated, "We've got a lot of respect and love for Aaron. What he's done here, he's a Hall of Famer. This game is not about that. It's about the Green Bay Packers vs the Pittsburgh Steelers." While the coaches and players might say this on the outside, you know there's a little bit of motivation in that regard on the inside. 

Both Aaron Rodgers and Jordan Love are competitive players. Even if Rodgers has no hatred for the Packers or his successor in Jordan Love, you know that he would love nothing more than to defeat the Packers and have headlines reading that perhaps the Packers shouldn't have moved on. Even if Jordan Love has nothing but respect and admiration for his predecessor and mentor, he's going to have that chip on his shoulder to show that he is that guy the Packers chose over bringing back Aaron Rodgers, and for good reason. Matt LaFleur may think of Aaron Rodgers as a friend, but come kickoff, he's going to want nothing more than to coach his team to defeat the quarterback that many folks say he was nothing without. 

Unlike Brett Favre, the dust won't have to settle for a few years for Aaron Rodgers to be welcomed back to Green Bay with open arms when he hangs up his cleats. Packers fans don't want his head on a platter like they did number 4. But make no mistake, despite the lack of drama around this one, both sides would love nothing more than to embarrass the other.