Aaron Rodgers went through every emotion possible on his way back to the playoffs for the first time since the 2021-22 season, when he was still with the Packers.
The Steelers managed to clinch the AFC North and spot in the playoffs in dramatic fashion as a missed 44-yard field goal by Ravens kicker Tyler Loop as time expired securing a 26-24 win over Baltimore.
“It’s pretty emotional, honestly,” Rodgers told NBC after the win. “It’s been a great year. I’m thankful for these guys and excited to be going to the playoffs for the first time in a long while.”
Rodgers went through it all, watching with sorrow on his face as the Ravens lined up what should have been an easy kick to win the game and before leading the Steelers down the field on a six-play 1:25 drive to score the go-ahead 26-yard touchdown pass to Calvin Austin II.
And a drive before that, Rodgers was spotted screaming at the Steelers’ sideline as he dealt with an issue with the communications system in his helmet, making it hard for him to hear what play was being called.
In the end, Rodgers was able to raise his arms in victory before walking off the field with a smile on his face as the NBC broadcast captured him walking down the tunnel to the locker room, beaming from ear to ear.
Rodgers, 42, will be making his first playoff appearance since the 2021-22 season with the Packers.
It was a stark difference from a few minutes earlier when he was watching from the sideline as Lamar Jackson took the Ravens down the field in the final minute of the game.
He was slumped over on the bench, looking on.
“It sucked. It’s the worst part of this game,” Rodgers said, while laughing, when discussing that moment. “I’d rather have the ball in my hand. We haven’t made it easy for ourselves for most of the year. … On offense, we didn’t handle our business the first half, but the second half, we came out with a different focus. When we had to have points, we went down and scored.”
Rodgers finished the game with 31 completions for 294 yards and a touchdown pass in the dramatic win.
The Steelers will now face the Texans in the Wild Card round on Monday at 8:15 p.m.
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