Three seasons and two teams later, Aaron Rodgers has found life after the Packers

Aaron Rodgers will face the Green Bay Packers, the team with whom he spent 18 NFL seasons, on Sunday for the first time since forcing his way out in 2023.

Trailing the Cincinnati Bengals in the final seconds of Week 7 and still nearly 70 yards from the end zone and a potential go-ahead touchdown, the Pittsburgh Steelers were in an unenviable position.

That wasn’t to say they were out of options, however.

Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers bought time, jogged forward to add momentum and heaved his final pass of the night.

It was knocked down incomplete, just out of arm’s reach of a Steelers receiver, but it didn’t diminish the feat of the throw itself, which traveled 69.8 yards, the longest pass attempt since at least 2017, according to NFL tracking data.

The danger of such a Rodgers heave should be familiar to Pittsburgh’s next opponent, Green Bay. While playing 18 seasons with the Packers and winning four MVP honors and one Super Bowl title, Rodgers became known for possessing perhaps the league’s strongest arm, one that helped him complete three Hail Mary attempts with the franchise. When he completed another with the New York Jets in 2024, their coach said they were “fortunate that we have the best Hail Mary thrower in the history of this game.”