9AM: Aaron Rodgers

0:00Three time was constant sports writer of the year Jason Wilde. Our very first guest in the history of Wilde and Towsh, which will be I'm sure a long and distinguished history. Packers, Hall of Famer, Mark Towsh. Aaron Rodgers, give us an over-under of what number would you set for how many shows we do? Broadcasting live from the Ever Light Solar Studio at ESPN Medicine. I'm gonna say, daily 52 weeks a year. I'm gonna say you do about 230. And celebrating 10 great years on ESPN Wisconsin. And then what? It's now the Towsh. Towsh kind of bows out. This is Wilde and Towsh, presented by fellow Windows and Doors of Wisconsin.

1:29It is the Thursday edition. The Thursdays with Aaron edition. We finally have football that has been played that counts in the standings. After last night's Seattle New England opener. And I'm still... There's a game tonight, right? It's tomorrow in Australia. But there's a game tonight in Australia on my television in prime time. Edition. And we have a pre-recorded interview with someone coming up. I don't know if you heard. Because it's not like we've been promoting it at all. Edition. I'll Wilde and Towsh. A 94.5 ESPN walk. A 100.5 ESPN Madison. 14.30 ESPN Beaver Dam.

2:29ESPNWisconsin.com. The ESPN app. You're a Lexus smart speaker. Streaming live, video, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube. And of course everything you need. On the ESPN Wisconsin app, which is A. Free. B. fully customizable. C. Available in both the Apple and Android app stores. And D. Just awesome. I'm Jace Wilde in Green Bay. Jesse Nelson is in the Everlight Solar ESPN Madison Studios. And from an undisclosed location. Which I think I can tell what it is. Oh, Section T. That's nice. Oh, T. Yeah, Section T for all T. I'm thinking about getting an O. And you're putting an OL right there. Is an O part of the student section where they like argue about what O and P and all that stuff is. From Section T. You got a P on your shirt too. The pickler.

3:29Oh, he is the Packers Hall of Fameries Mark Towshirt. Towsh, good morning. How are you? I'm doing great. It is a absolutely beautiful morning here. And what else could a guy ask for? Watch the little football last night. Watch the Brewers absolutely curb stop until they didn't. And then it was a little bit of a little dicey at the end. But a sweep and just absolutely. I said this when I got back from our trip. I think it was more likely that the Cubs are not going to make the playoffs in the Brewers than that they would win the division. So seems like that's definitely in fruition. And so it's just a good day all in all. Good day. Seahawks are a little weakened. I don't know what their quarterback situation is. But it just again shows you that when you get the opportunities, you got to take them because they're defending World Champs. And there was a thought that they, who knows what Sam Donald's going to end up being? This hip is good or what?

4:30It just shows you, man, everything is so fleeting in the NFL that when you get the opportunity, you got to grab it. And Seattle did last year. And we'll see how they bounce back and recover from whatever this ends up being. The early reports were apparently encouraging for Sam Donald. They still won with their backup quarterback, who I always think of as the guy that Goody almost drafted at number 12 overall in 2019 and then shows Rashon Gary instead. And then I always wonder. Some packer fans, including, well, you're not a fan, but the way some folks speak of Rashon Gary would have been not that big of a difference. Well, we'll hear from somebody and their thoughts on Goody and some of the things he did during their tenure together a little bit later in the program.

5:31But they also could have taken Drew Locke in the second round had he lasted two more picks. Instead, some would say thankfully, if your packer's fan, he did not last. Although, you know what? I saw this last night and I don't know who tweeted it, but it was with love to have seen Drew Locke in the Matle floor quarterback school. So Drew Locke is not a great pro yet. Who knows doubtful that he will be, but circumstance matters, especially when you're not a transcendent talent. And Drew Locke has bounced around. It just has not worked for him yet. But to say he would have been a definite bust in Green Bay. Who knows, right? We don't know. We don't. But the guy they picked in the second round because he was no longer available in that draft because he went two picks earlier, was Elton Jenkins. And that was a great pick by Goody. Pretty good pick, absolutely.

6:32So again, everything happens, the way it happens. So who knows what Drew Locke would have become? And who knows what Jordan Love would have become with a different coach, too? Yeah, because if they draft Drew Locke, Jordan Love ain't here. Correct. No doubt. And Aaron Rogers has pissed off a year earlier than he was. All right, so that game, did you get to see any of it? Were you watching Brewer's Cubs? What did you, what did you glean if anything other than the injury? I watched a little bit of it. And honestly, when the guys were starting to fall, AJ Brown got hurt, obviously, Darnell thankfully got to his 13 yards, Jesse, because my prize picks partnered that up with PCA not hitting a home run. And who would have guessed that Drew Locke was gonna be, or in a Drew Locke, that Sam Darnell was gonna be battling to get that point on. He wasn't a Locke. I was wondering how he's going to score. I was like, I was a fight boy. I ended up with one completion for 13 yards.

7:34All we needed was one completion for one yard, but you get those little freebies per se, and you think it's a Locke pun intended, and it was nothing but that last night. So that was good. And then I got home in time to watch the last, I don't know, three minutes of the game. And New England just filled their bridges, man. New England should have won that football game, but that's why we always say not Hwack, not Hwack, and you better always keep that in mind when you're talking about a champion, because the Seahawks are champions. What did you think of Romeo Dobbs' evening? He stunk. He had a bad night. I think, again, you could judge things down the road, but the day that Romeo Dobbs left and wasn't there for the, and I said that in real time, and I'll say it again, it's really hard to re-earn that trust. Packers never got it back, and I think Romeo has handled himself really well since then.

8:35I think the Packers handled it well, and the fact that he was able to get a big boy contract from the New England Patriots, kudos to him. I don't think New England's gonna be Uber excited when all is said and done. How that contract ends up looking, but, you know, for Romeo's sake, I hope, you know, he's, he seems to be in a good place. Obviously, he just had a tough game last night, but there's a lot of balllots. So, but I don't think anybody's sitting here thinking, oh my God, I wish Romeo Dobbs was still with the Greenbite Packers. And by the way, again, in fairness to Goody, great fourth round pick, like really productive player during his time in Greenbite, but unfortunately, probably remembered more than anything else for not showing up for work in 2024, the week of the Rams game, and not handling the on-side kick in the regular season loss to the Bears in Chicago, right? Yeah, yeah, I mean, if you wanna look at all the negatives, but I think, and obviously, the leaving the team

9:39and not coming in, and that's completely, I said it in real time, it just was unprecedented. I never heard of it where that happens. And, you know, unless it's a contract dispute, it's again, and I know there's a lot of issues in hand, so, you know, we'll leave it be, but it just never, it never happened, so that part, but he had a lot of good things. He played a lot of good football, and as you put it through a fourth round pick, to get that kind of production, and then you don't pay him, and he gets, he's gonna get you a comp pick back. Thank you, Romeo Dobbs. And if I'm a Packer fan this morning, I'm saying, good luck to you. We like our defined roles with our wide outs now. Everybody should be excited about it. Now, depth wise, there's concerns, but Romeo, appreciate you, but we're not mad about how the whole scenario played out. We appreciate everything he did, and now it's, good night. Well, I don't know what AJ Brown's prognosis is with his ankle, but he is going to potentially have more opportunity to atone for what happened in last night's game.

10:42But I don't have anything against him. I just think that there's, when Packer's fans think of him, I do think that those are the two things they think of now at this point, and they forget some of the good things. I don't love that. Like, what other jobs are there that that's how everybody's remembered? But it's just, and I get it. I understand that that's the world that we've all signed up for, but I don't like it. Don't mean I gotta like it. Well, I, again, I like, you know how much I love Ted Lasso, and he's got a great quote. I hope that either all of us, or none of us, are judged by the actions of our weakest moments, but rather by the strength we show, when and if we are ever given a second chance. That's not Bob Moore. That is Ted Lasso, is played by Jason Sadekis. So I agree with you. I think it sucks that that's how people think of him, but I can tell you from the interactions I saw on Twitter

11:43after that drop, and then the pick on the very next play that there are a lot of people that think of him that way. Anything else from last night, now that we actually have real football having been played, we'll have another game tonight, and then the Packers on Sunday, when we get to find out about the team we talk about all the time in their opener in Minnesota. All I could think about, and I think tonight it'll be even be heightened, is we don't need 18 games. That's honestly what I thought. So, and I think at the end of the season, we'll probably even have more of those conversations, but sloppy, not uber entertaining game, but it was just great that it was back out there. And I think we get a little pommie and we crown people a little early. Are we sure Drake may? He's got a lot of growing to do yet. If he's going to be thrown, I mean, we've thrust him into the mix because they had a soft schedule. Listen, doing that great year last year, no doubt. But I think sometimes we crown people, we crown stride,

12:45we crown Jordan Love a little bit prematurely after the 2023 season. I don't know about that. I mean, I said that he's still needed to prove it. I think he, if I'm mentioning, he's going to have bad games this year. He's not going to be perfect. His command, and I think the fact that he didn't get thrown into the mix right away, he has been a lot more of a steady incline without the big dips. I would agree. Where have you seen big dips? You haven't? So he is accelerated. He's on that price is right, like the five-year-old guy. The five-year-old guy. The five-year-old guy. And yeah, there might be a blip here and there. You're talking some monster drop-offs when you're talking about stride. And I think Drake may is in for this season. He's going to have to really go about his business in a good way. So it just reiterates to me that the Packers do it the right way when it comes to quarterback development. Helps to have a hall of fame or for them to sit behind that's for sure. Speaking of which, coming up at 9.30 on your clock,

13:49we will hear my conversation from Monday, I believe, is when he and I recorded this with Aaron Rogers. I will say this. You think people are excited to hear from Aaron? I think they might be curious. I saw some folks responding with, why can't they just move on? Look, man, the dude hasn't been on the show in six years. So take a deep breath. It's 15 minutes. I think it's actually, I thought he was really good. I think he said some very interesting things. As I said, DePaula, it felt like the old Tuesdays with Aaron an abbreviated addition as opposed to what it was with him and McAfee. So if you enjoyed that version of Aaron Rogers conversations, I think you'll like it. And it would be great if you stayed tuned at 9.30 and tuned in for it.

14:53And then we'll talk a little bit about it. But we've gotten, and I mean this in the most positive of ways, we got more important things to talk about. Josh Jacobs is scheduled in court, although I don't believe he himself will be there just as lawyer. I believe at 11 today, a little Baco Bewele spoke yesterday and said he's definitely playing. All right. Of course, he also played in Cleveland last year and lasted all of one snap before he exited. So we got to be a little bit careful on knowing that him saying he's playing means he'll be able to go the full route. There was an interesting line from Matt LaFlurry yesterday about what we were talking about with Romeo Dabs, about the wide receivers and who needs to be on the field a lot. I had a fun trivia question with Jaden Reed and Christian Watson and Tucker Krafts that I'm finishing my story on for Channel 3000.

16:05So we have a lot to get to. Towsh's at practice as the badgers look to rebound from their season opening defeat to Notre Dame. My understanding is the season starts now. So I'm glad you're at practice. Yep. Now is also the great time to reach out to Pella Windows and doors of Wisconsin about your new windows. Indeed it is. No two homes are exactly like so I would every window and door solution be the same. Well, Pella Windows and doors of Wisconsin premium quality doesn't come in just one price point. Pella offers gorgeous high quality and customizable solutions for every unique situation. Quality doesn't mean one size fits all it means finding the right solution for your home. Pella Windows and doors of Wisconsin real pricing with premium quality and no games schedule it. You're free in home consultation today at Pella WI dot com. Aaron Rogers that interview scheduled to air at 930.

17:05We're going to talk about the offensive line of the current green Bay Packers, not a discussion of Aaron Rogers. Next, we'll need Towsh. This is will the in Towsh presented by Pella Windows and doors of Wisconsin called today 855 Pella WI and online at PellaWI dot com slash radio. We'll hear from Aaron Rogers coming up but before that more pressing matters if you're

18:06a green Bay Packers fan and it begins obviously with the status of the offensive line. Towsh I never want to admit when I've been duped and I still don't think I was because players always want to play. Any player worth his salt wants to play but for Zach Bakko Buele to say yesterday that he is definitely playing I think was significant but that is not a flat out guarantee. I'm curious when you did you follow up and ask him are you guaranteeing to play on Sunday? I don't think that he's capable of guaranteeing that because- But if you say guarantee, what did Tommy Boy say? You could put a guarantee on a box of steak and it's a something something and a T-bone

19:08or look up a butcher's butt. Well, I don't mind something like that, right? I think you're pardoned. I feel good about Sunday. I feel like I'm definitely going to be out there. Okay, that's pretty close to a guarantee. Ask if he'll be able to play the entire game. I hope Z-Z-Bach replied that is the plan. Yeah, he's an all vet man. He knows how to answer questions. I wouldn't have thrown definitely in there. I don't think if I was him. I think I'd keep a little more vague. You know the former Towsht made, I think of every time I hear the word definitely. No. Joe Johnson. Okay. The big ticket defensive end. He used to always- every question out definitely, definitely. He just said it all the time. And John Theory, RIP, used to say for the most. He would always use for the most. That was like his, you know, he would always get that in there to fill.

20:09Sure. What not is a fun word that you get in there. Yeah, I'm a big what not guy. Sure. Yeah, as best as in what not. Obviously it hasn't been ideal. I'm not going to sit here and lie and say it's been perfect. There's been some ups and downs. Did he say I'm not going to say? I'm not going to sit here and lie. Oh, that's close. That is almost flat out. He owes us two, he owes the children's hospital $2.50. Now we'll give it, we'll cut him a break. We'll cut him a break on that one. But I think with where we're at right now, yeah, I think I'm about as ready as I can feel to play a game. That's not ideal. And what was the Jordan Morgan? Is he dealing with an ankle now too? Me. He's listed as a knee. And there's no further information. He is a ghost when it's open locker room. Like I got him on June 3rd.

21:11That's the last time I've seen anyone talk to him. Yeah. Yeah, well, I mean, you guys get quotes from linemen. And then next thing you know, they're out of it. They predict you're going to win every game. And next thing you know, they're gone. So yeah, I don't blame them. Obviously we're not going to find out till we actually go out and play. But I feel good about where I'm at. Asked if he can play at an elite level that he's accustomed to. If he does play Z-Box replied, yeah, for sure, for sure. I mean, obviously you want to feel as good as you possibly can. But I don't think anybody's 100% at this point. Actually, I think there probably are people that are at 100% at this point. It's going to be after Sunday that they won't be. At this point for me, it's just about getting back out there. And then obviously when I am out there, I do expect to perform at an elite level.

22:17Towsh, what do you expect from Z-Box on Sunday? I expect the unexpected. I don't know. He has not taken a ton of reps. I don't really even understand the injury that he had. And the fact he didn't have surgery, he did have surgery. I don't know any of it. So I've been concerned. I'm not listening to his quotes there. I'm definitely not less concerned than what I was. So I think the hope is he's obviously a pro. He's a really good football player. And you just hope that he's able to kind of find his way and get into a rhythm and figure out how he has to adjust to play 65 or 70 snaps. And that's the goal. But literally anything could happen on Sunday and I wouldn't be surprised. He could play the full game. He could have to rotate. I don't know all of that. And that's the part that's a little bit disconcerting as a Packers fan.

23:19I'm on the flip side. I have not seen Aaron Banks this week yet. He was also listed as a limited participant. Now remember, we're at the point. What's concerned about? Banks here. Bakoboella. I want to say Banks because there's a recent seat to the issues that he's having. I mean, Z-Bock is just working his way back from last year's injury. He did have a surgery. It was not to repair the Patelur tendon. It was to clean up all the debris that it created. And then the Patelur tendon heals thyself. So that's why it wasn't like it because it wasn't a full tear. It was a partial tear in Aaron Banks's case. Again, I keep hearing his quote to Tom Silverstein of anytime he does Streduous football activity, his knee hurts.

24:23And I don't know is that it's like a few good men. I stredulously object. Or a grave danger. Is there any other kind? Is there any other kind of football activity that's not strenuous? So he's going to be straining. There is punting. Punting isn't strenuous. He's not a punter. That's what I heard. But yeah, it's I mean, we've been concerned. Nothing is going to happen in practice this week. The only way to alleviate concerns is to go out and play and see him play and perform. And I think the I guess the silver lining would be if something is a miss, you at least feel good about the young fella, a Burton that he can come in and you you know, you do have belt and not a right tackle. If needed, he's got a ton of work at guard throughout his career. But the problem is you have concerns and question marks at other places. So that's why there is this level of oh boy, what do we have?

25:23And by the way, it's not just media folks and fans. It's the coaches too. I mean, there are no doubt. I think they're going to have to devise a game plan. I think this week too, I think they're going to have to take into account that they don't feel lock stock about what this group can do until they start seeing some signs of it. I think they probably have to have two or three contingency plans as far as what what they can all get done schematically. All right, we will get back to the Packers of Present Day a little bit later in the program as they get ready for Sunday's opener against the Minnesota Vikings at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. But before we can do that, we're going to hear from Aaron Rogers for the first time on this program since February of 2020. He called us after that big NFL PA meeting all ticked off and wanting to vent.

26:25I can assure you there were other attempts to book him on the program that did not come to fruition. I would like to say for a variety of reasons, but mainly they were him agreeing to come on and then not doing so. He's a complicated fella. Towsh, tell us about Brown Strauss first before we go to break. Brown Strauss say 100% employee own structural steel company from agricultural equipment to warehouses, sports stadiums to manufacturing facilities. Brown Strauss is helping build the Midwest and as an employee own company, the team at Brown Strauss has a vested interest in helping contractors, manufacturers and the companies that they work with succeed. The most trusted source for steel and a dependable partner that helps keep projects and businesses moving. Brown Strauss Steel, learn more at brownstrauss.com. We'll hear from Aaron Rogers next. This will be a Towsh. The will the in Towsh podcast on the ESPN Wisconsin app is brought to you by Brown Strauss, a 100%

27:29employee own steel company helping build the Midwest. Learn more at brownstrauss.com. Before we get to Aaron Rogers, I can't think of any partner who's better to talk about before we talk to him, that American family insurance. I love to hear it, but I do know this. We love American family insurance and Sunday's at Lambo just got better. Thanks to American family insurance. Enter the Dream Weekend sweepstakes. Your chance at the Ultimate Packers Game Day Experience, winner score tickets to the November 15th game, a pregame tailgate in title town. Signed Jordan Love Jersey, historical packer, tour swag and more at your dream weekend is waiting.

28:29Don't miss it. No purchase is necessary. You got to be in it by the crack of midnight on October 14th. Head over to ampfam.com slash Packers to see official rules and to enter. Again, that's ampfam.com slash Packers. Jesse, thanks to you and to Ashton Rotman and everyone else involved with editing this for air. Thanks to the Pittsburgh Steelers PR staff for recording our Zoom since I didn't really know how. And here he is. Aaron Rogers for the first time since 2020 on Wildeantouch. Once upon a time on a show that ran on Tuesday's pre-macket fee, you told me that you didn't see yourself playing past 36. Here you are. You're going to turn 43 in December. You said you had too many other things you wanted to accomplish.

29:33What changed? I mean, I think a lot of things changed. And my body felt like I could do it. I think back then I didn't see how I could do it, you know, up until 2015, I had a lot of knee issues every year that bothered me. And after 2015 season, I got a cleanup from Doc McKenzie and then I kind of changed my diet around it from that point forward. My knee has felt amazing since then. So I had knee problems since I was 16 years old. So I think I just got tired of that, you know, and just all the years, just like never quite feeling 100% burst of sack. I was just kind of down and tingling down the leg, swelling nonstop, joint pain. And then I went away after, you know, I got surgery in January of 2016 and I haven't

30:35had knee problems since then. So that was a big part of it. The other part was just like, you know, I just chased in the love of the game, you know, after things seemed that they were going to go in a different direction when Jordan was picked, you know, I wanted to play, give it one more run and then I tore my Achilles and then I couldn't end playing for the Jets. So yeah, and then obviously Mike coming back was a big deal for me, come on back here. So I saw you talking to Kyle Brandt on NFL Network and he asked you the same question that I was wondering. Like what if this season goes really well, you play really well, you win playoff games, you and Mike are vibing, there's really no scenario, absolutely positively, no scenario where you would come back for another year, none. No. Why not? Just I think you know when it's at the end and I thought it felt like more like last

31:43year where it's kind of fighting it a little bit, you know, like I didn't really want it to be the end and most guys don't get to choose when it's the end. So this year's felt way different where I've just actually been last year, I felt like I was maybe holding on to some things like that was my last, you know, second week of camp practice. This is my last day to dorms and drink camp. This year I just been enjoying the moments. So I know this is it. Speaking of the NFL Network, did you see your old coach on there saying that Jordan's the best he's ever had at the line of scrimmage and Stacy Dale says, you coached Aaron Rogers and then he stood by it. What did you make of that? Because I think that's going to get put to the test this week for them against Brian Flores. He's probably still mad. I changed too many of his plays. Big statement when he had a guy went back to back MVP's, you know, I guess I wasn't doing

32:48too much at the LOS. That's clown man. He says he says some things from time to time and funny that he's like, well, maybe I shouldn't have said that. Like he's back off his quarterback. I mean, like, yeah, I'm sure Jay loves real good line scrimmage. Good. Good moment. You saw Brett playing later in his career. I remember talking about, you know, how you become the old guy in the room and everybody's on their phones and all that kind of stuff. But from a purely football perspective, how is your game different at 42 versus 32? Are there things that you're better at? Are there clearly things that you can't do that you used to be able to do? How do you kind of view it? I can't run like I used to, you know, which is frustrating because I really felt like I was a threat with my legs, you know, at least just moving the pocket to throw. I was always a pass for a guy out of the pocket and that's the most dangerous guy's unless

33:49you're Lamar Jackson and you can outrun him by on the field. So I can't do some of that stuff I used to do for sure, which is, you know, it is what it is, but I'm way better at the live scrims. I've seen every look and every pressure. It's, you know, I'm able to really focus on a certain defender in the defense. It tells me what the entire coverage is better. You know, and also I have just a crazy recall so many years now. Just added on years of experience, years of plays from film and stuff. I've seen on tape and I just have a greater role at that. I did there and then, but I make up for the lack of mobility comparatively by just being even better pre-snap. Just not as good as love. Speaking of him, I remember you saying, look, you felt like you had a play at MVP level

34:51after they drafted him and then you went out and did it not once but twice. And what ways did that happening and how you responded to it alter anything about the trajectory of your career? Because I think, you know, Towsh and I have talked about it, you know, you being drafted and put a burr and Brett's saddle. Did it do anything for you? I mean, it's not like you weren't focused before. Like you weren't motivated before. Did it do anything for you when you look back on it? Honestly, it just really made me know that the end was going to come at some point probably before I wanted it to ring ring back. You know, I always talked about playing my entire career there like Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan and Derek Jeeters, you know, some iconic players. And I realized at that point that I was probably going to have to play somewhere else, at least a year or two. But I've always felt like you can bring almost anybody in and I'd love to compete with

35:55them. I haven't seen anybody that's been clearly better than me in the quarterback room in, you know, since 2007. So I wasn't like I was worried for my job or anything. I came off a year where I was super efficient with the football, but I felt like I was, you know, I used to joke with Matt, he made me a game manager in 2019. You never liked that. That's why I said it because he's so fond of me. But I never felt like Jordan Hanoi himself so well, you know, I never felt like I was like playing for my job. I just, I felt so much more comfortable. I feel we made some of the changes in the offense between 19 and 20. And then, you know, we obviously had a dominant wide receiver one and a bunch of really good role players. You know, guys, you know, like Mark West, about us, can't lean on Alan Lizar and Aaron Jones to my Williams. And I say role player would like the greatest amount of respect because those guys are great players, but they had like really specific roles like we need you to do this like Quas

36:55being Z, like you're going to have to run some clear out routes and he was just like super unselfish and so was Alan. And so the whole team, you know, Mercedes Lewis, it was a much a really good dude to run selfish. And I think that's why we took off that year. All right. So I know you don't love hypotheticals, but I am still of the belief and maybe it's just because all the time we spent together, the way you played those two years, if you embrace kind of a rebuild on the fly, I don't, instead of I don't want to be part of a rebuild. And you're kind of what I like to call fun on clarin where you take Christian Watson and Romeo dobs and, and that 2022 season. And maybe you're able to stay in Green Bay and you can do to Jordan what Brady did the Garoppolo or eventually they went, we're not getting rid of Brady. We're going to trade Garoppolo. Is there anything you can look back on and say, okay, other than breaking your thumb and London, which clearly affected that season, is there anything you look back on that you

37:59could have done differently that year that might have changed the final season and the years that followed? Yeah, for sure. I mean, there's definitely some things that I could have done. Obviously to make those guys a little more comfortable, I guess, but the GM wanted me out of there. So, you know, it was, it was only a matter of time. They just were looking for one non-NBPCs and that was going to be that, you know, like I understand it. Didn't I agree with it, but I understand. I just didn't like the way it was handled and obviously I could have probably handled it better, but I had on the flip side probably made it a little bit easier for Jordan. That was what I said when we did our Zoom, the couple of years ago. That was, yeah. Well, Jason Wilde said that. Hey, all right. I got three left. One, when you look at your post-Green Bay career in New York and Pittsburgh, how do you view it at this point? Like different, isn't always good, but have you been rejuvenated?

39:03Has it changed your view of your time in Green Bay? How has it hit you? It hasn't changed my view of my time in Green Bay. I mean, I loved my time there and I didn't let kind of the ending, you know, skew any of the good times that we had and how much I enjoy playing there and playing at Lambo and being around so many great people over the years. You know, Bob Harlan, who was the president when I was there and Ted Thompson and Mike, so many great football minds. I got to interact with over the years, Hall of Fame players like Charles Woodson, two Ace Peppers, you know, guys who could be right on the fringe, you know, the jordies and Clay Matthews and Devonte, who I think I hope should get in, you know, just a lot of great guys, great quarterback rooms. I was really rejuvenated going to New York, New Place, you know, and that was obviously turned out to be a disappointment after the injury and just the way, you know, things

40:07went down there in 24, but I had a lot of fun last year with Mike Tomlin and this group, it's a really good organization, you know, and Mike D is just, you know, such a, such players code so fun to be around and, you know, I was, although last year, last year was really disappointing, like I was okay, that being the ending, but I obviously had to run it back with Mike for a little full circle is pretty special. What does that, what does that do for you? Because like, I don't want to say things were strained in 2018, but it kind of felt like you guys had run your course together. Is it nice to have, I guess, a do over kind of ending with him this year because the way things kind of ended in 18, I mean, he got fired on your birthday. I know. I remember that. I remember getting a text. It's crazy. We will be lost to the Cardinals that day who weren't very good, you know, do you remember who the quarterback was that day?

41:07I don't. Josh Rosen. Oh. Yeah. We had a rough one there. But we weren't very good in 18. I mean, like, roster wise, we were never good. And we started off in your one of a couple games. Remember, we beat San Fran, we were down in that game. And then I hit the Vante for a test and I tie it and Kevin King had a pick and we got the ball back where Cutters run it out for overtime. And I think we ran a run to time of gum, right? We kind of got like 15 and out of bounds. And then I actually had a run for like 20, something yards and then hit a back shoulder to EQ. And we're like, you know, as one of those games, we have play very good and they weren't very good, you know, but we squeaked out and then, you know, we just lost a bunch of close games. We did Seattle. We playing them good and probably should have beat them and then kind of gave that one up at the end.

42:07But just we just weren't a great football team. We kind of come off of 17 and then gets rid of, gets rid of Jordy and, you know, it was just this point. So to be able to run it back in Mike's home town's been pretty, pretty sweet. Like, obviously, when it like that, and he and Mike and I have reconnected since then, we reconnected especially in 2022 and played Dallas. So there wasn't any animosity or anything, but I think we both love a better ending for him and I story. All right, last thing you mentioned during that Zoom call, there has to be an invitation to come back to Green Bay someday. I think it was Bill that asked you about that. Do you have any reason to doubt that there would be that invitation from the Packers end? I mean, when I do my TV things out in the bowl, the tour guides come through and they point to the retired numbers and they flat out say number 12 will be up there as, you know, after Aaron retires, like, is there a concern about the vibe or the, like, after

43:14everything you did in this building that you wouldn't be welcomed back? No, I think there's some people that have a lot of affection for me and I would assume we're talking four or five years from now that, you know, there'll be fans who still have, you know, appreciation for what I've done especially after so much time has passed, but I think there's certain people in the building who wouldn't be totally on board and maybe I wouldn't be on board if they were still there as well. Towsh, that's quite the spot to end it. We will talk a little bit about some of the things that he had to say during that conversation. It was interesting to read some of the reactions in the YouTube comments. You can critique if you so choose via the Carbless Talk and Textline 844-770-3776-844-770-3776. We're not going to waste time taking calls on this because there is a Packers Vikings game

44:15on Sunday and there are things I want to get to, but I found this to be worthwhile and I found it to be interesting. We'll see what Towsh thinks of that as well. I will say this and I saw a few people mention this and this will be my only comment for now and we'll talk a little more about it coming up. It did feel like the old days of Tuesdays with Aaron, which I think he was great during. I enjoyed that and obviously I have a biased opinion on that because I was hosting it because Craig Carms enforced me too. It was fun to just focus on football and football adjacent topics with him because he is a really interesting cat when we talk about those types of things. I want to talk to you about Steinhalfles. First of all, Steinhalfles was incredibly not just supportive of our show for the last decade and Green and Gold today before that, but they were incredibly supportive of our 10th anniversary.

45:17We appreciate them so much and Chad and Danny and Andrew and everyone else who were so supportive of us celebrating that, but they had a big weekend. They had their big Labor Day sale going on. They had more important things than us being on stage and it's more important to you that they have great deals and great furniture for you. Right now, if you want to make a difference while finding a mattress that you love, it's easy. Just visit your nearest Steinhalfles and test rest. Any mattress, get this for every test rest. Steinhalfles will donate $20 to special spaces with Canson and amazing organization that creates dream bedrooms for children battling cancer. Then you, as a thank you for helping them give back, will also get a $20 lunch gift card. By the way, they're also donating every time the Packers make a feel goal to special spaces with Canson. They get $1000 of a feel goal. So they have been supportive of that cause for a long time and they continue to do so.

46:21So take a few minutes, get comfortable, enjoy lunch on Steinhalfles and help create a dream space for a child who deserves it. Stop by your nearest Steinhalfles. Today, we'll get Towsha's thoughts on his old teammate and we'll get back to Packers Vikings. That's all still ahead. It's well the in Towsha. Your State, your Teams, your ESPN, the ESPN Wisconsin App, customizable just to you. Find the ESPN Wisconsin App in the Apple or Android App stores today. We'll get the Towsha's taken a moment on the Aaron Rogers conversation.

47:29But first, I want to remind you, if you feel like you need to get away, you don't have to get on a plane or a cruise ship, you can just escape. It's a Potawatomi Casino Hotel and its biggest and some might say nicest hotel rooms in all of Milwaukee, nearly 500 beautifully designed rooms and luxury suites and they're right by all the fun stuff that's happening inside and on top of that, if you're hungry, there's no better place to go. So many choices. Dream Dance stay-couse, the marketplace, Rock and Brews, Canal Street Cafe, Ruyi, Asian Kitchen, Cream City Coffee Company, all kinds of food and drinks, specials happening all the time. It'll eat play, a luxury stay bet on flavor at Potawatomi Casino Hotel. All right, Towsha, he did the first question he asked when I got on there was where's CP? Oh, which was his nickname for you. And I said, that's just me, sorry, but he sends his warmest

48:31regards. That's really nice. Not warm enough to have done this before our 10th anniversary, of course. What did you think? I wasn't surprised by anything that made me either. It's, you know, and I know I saw Jesse put some clips out earlier and did a great job. He's just a lightning rod and people are, they hate him, they love him, they're in difference. You got all the range of emotions and the bottom line is this is a hyper competitive business. And when things end before you want them to, you're going to have some bitterness. And time erases that. So I understand the, well, I don't know if I'll bring, come back and all this other stuff. And in essence, what he's saying is if Goody's there, he doesn't know it all. He'll be back. He is going to be celebrated in a big way, just like Brett was, they're going to charge 12 bucks to go out and sit in the Lambo and it's going to go to his charity of choice.

49:34Everybody's going to, he loves this time there. He let there's so many people there that he cares about. And the competitive nature of him is what made him great. So nothing here surprised me. I mean, Tom Brady, they asked Tom Brady if he's rooting for the Patriots in the Super Bowl. As he said, no, like, and that's just kind of how this goes. It was always going to be ugly when you're asked to leave or you're felt like you're forced out when you feel like you've done everything for an organization. So there's literally not one thing that Aaron Rodgers said in that whole thing that I was thinking, oh my god, I can't believe he said that. Now, I think one of the things in signs of his growth is that he could have handled himself better in 2022. We all saw it. You know, not going to train in many camps and, you know, not really being super, I guess, loving to his young whiteouts and embracing that, it would have helped. But this is, it's complicated. And Mark Murphy

50:40said it best. Then Aaron's a complicated dude. Most guys are, especially when you're at that level. So I mean, I think Aaron has a chance to kind of finish his career arc and he said, you know, early in that interview, not everybody gets to. He's 100% right. And by the way, Aaron Rodgers would love to go like John L. We did it. And I don't see that happening. But it football, the ending to football is really tough for everybody. And I think you could sense the frustration still with Brian Gutekund's. Brian Gutekund's made a really tough decision when he drafted him. And then they were able to get three years. And I think it was a really good two and a half years. And then you move on. And so this is just the way this is always going to be. But to act as if in four or five years, if we're all alive, I have to read that anthropic and everything yesterday. Yeah. I would have loved for you to ask me about that. And that would have been really interesting. It would have probably been another 45 minutes if you would have. But

51:45he's going to be back here and he is going to be celebrated in a monster way because lest we forget. He gave us 17 or 18 beautiful years of football. And people don't forget that either. I still would maintain that. And he has done. He was never going to get. He was never going to get Garoppolo. He was not going to Garoppolo. I don't think Gutek would have ever. And he didn't have Bob Kraft to go to and say, Amen. Right. I don't think if he goes to Mark Murphy, Mark Murphy's like, well, no, I'm going to, I'm going to override Gutek here. I think that was never going to happen. Someday more back stories will come out and maybe we'll learn more about why things deteriorated to the degree that they did. Why do you think? Why do you think? I don't know. We'll have to wait and see when those stories come out. Just your best guess. Why do you think things? Obviously, drafted the guy to replace him just like if anybody was brought in and said, hey,

52:48you're going to take this guy's job in two years. There's going to be some animosity. Why do you think it deteriorated to the way that it obviously still is at least from Aaron's point of view? Yeah, I would just say that in any relationship, clear and direct and honest communication, who's it's already important? Who's it, Jordy? I would say that taking over as the general manager and getting rid of Jordy, now, now, now, fact, let's make sure we're clear here. Brian Gutek tends to come back and say, I offered him a contract. By the way, he was under contract and they asked him to come back for one year at $2 million and both Devonte Adams and Aaron Rogers told Jordy, look, you can't take that. That is disrespectful because he was ready to take it anyway, because that's what Jordy's like. But yes, that was the beginning of the end long before the

53:53selection of Jordan Love. I do wish when you were in London to see the QPC Rangers or whatever they were called. Queens Park Rangers, right? Is that what they were? The team you adopted. I don't remember exactly. I adopted him for a short time. I would have liked to have seen what would have happened in 2022 and not broken his thumb, because I don't think they missed the playoffs. Is that enough for them to continue down the Aaron Rogers Road? Probably not. But I would have, they got off to a bad start and it just got increasingly worse. He complained about the joint practices with the Texans that really pissed Gutek off. Obviously, Gutek did plenty of things that pissed him off. But I don't think there's a whole lot of confusion over who the people are in the building that he has very little. I'm sorry. Other than Gutek, who are the other people that he has that? I don't know about that. I

54:55think he said plural, but I think it's really Gutey. And then if there's anybody else, like, is Russ Ball part of that? Well, I'm asking you, you sat down and do you think it is? No, I don't think us, I don't think Russ Ball's part of that. Well, you got it. You didn't let Russ get the job as the GM. That's not true. No, it's true. Russ Ball was going to get the job as the General Manager, Jason Woldey, went on at that point, Scalzo and Bruster was it on the rocks and basically said, I don't think that's going to make a certain player happy. I remember I listened to it. That was back when you really gave the good stuff for the other shows. That's because they asked me good questions. So I'm sick bird. So yeah, he doesn't have a problem with that policy, does he? I don't think so. No, no. Okay. I think it's just I think sometimes you you say like I've talked to people in the building. I've said it once or twice. And so we always know we're talking about. Yeah, no, it's almost

56:00exclusively. It's one person typically. That's not true. No, it is with you with you do. No, I hear you say it. I know exactly. All right. We need to get to the 10 o'clock hour. Otherwise, I thought good you did the fact that he acknowledged he was kind of a you know what? At the end and that he would do it differently. I think his growth. I think that's good growth by him. Yeah, I liked it. And by the way, he won't do anything differently by the way. He'd do the same thing. Like he is who he is. He's pop by. He is who he is. He's not. Yeah, he's going to do what he's going to do. He thinks is the best for him and his team. And at that point, I think he was over it. And unfortunately, everybody should have known that and the Packer should have gotten the Denver Bronco Hall because that would have happened. And unfortunately, nobody was ready to make the move at that point. Then Rogers, you know, and we took all that heat when he, oh, we think there's some stuff going on. It was there in plain sight. Nobody wanted to do anything about it.

57:04And that's all right. Towsh, you heard him talk about his knee and how much better he felt. Imagine if he had had a mocha to go to back in the day. He'd be playing till AI wiped this out in 2030, according to Anthropic. If you've been putting up with pain in your knee, your back, your shoulder, any joint, you don't have to tough it out. I tried that. It was miserable. That's why I partnered up with MoMA, the Midwest, orthopedic, and musculoskeletal alliance brought together trusted local providers, OIWSMOC, innovative pain, making it easier to find the right specialist and the right treatment for you and whether you're need caring one of their offices, surgery center, smart scan or mosh. I go to ortho laser and what I love pull up, bam, park my car right next to the building, walk in, 15 minutes later, I get the blood flowing back to my knee, get a little range of motion. I have loved it. It's helped me get back to doing what I love doing. Learn more at moma-mke.com. That's

58:04M-O-M-A-M-K-E-D-D-D-C-O. The 10 o'clock hour starts in two minutes. It's will the entouse. Don't go anywhere. Another hour of will the entouse presented by Pella Windows and doors of Wisconsin is coming up next on ESPN Wisconsin and the ESPN Wisconsin app.