“That’s the funny thing about development. In Rodgers’ case, years of apprenticeship culminated in one week last February. He won the Super Bowl, got the car, returned home to California and went golfing. . . . [and] hit a hole in one.” (Greg Bishop, The New York Times)
The Packers had another lukewarm start to their 2010 season, going 6-6. Two of the losses were in overtime, making his career record in overtime games 0-5. The questions of Rodgers’ composure under pressure resurfaced.
More concerning than his performance in must-win scenarios was Rodgers’ health. After the game against the Redskins on Oct. 10, he was diagnosed with a concussion. Rodgers kept playing until he sustained a second concussion during the game against the Lions on Dec. 12.
He was placed on injured reserve and cleared for play in time to start against the Giants on Dec. 26 in a must-win qualifier for postseason play. Rodgers led the Packers to a 45-17 win and turned in his highest single-game passing yardage of the season, 25 of 37 passes completed for 404 yards and four touchdowns.
By defeating the Bears the following week, another elimination game, the Packers earned a wild card playoff spot. Rodgers took his team on the road, defeating the top three seeded teams—the Eagles, Falcons, and Bears (again)—to win the NFC Championship Title and the privilege of playing against the Steelers in Super Bowl XLV.
The quarterback matchup for Super Bowl XLV was Rodgers versus Ben Roethlisberger. Rodgers and his receiving corps, in particular Jordy Nelson, carved up “the best defense in the league,” completing 24 of 39 passes for 304 yards, 3 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, and 111.5 passer rating.
As Rodgers hoisted the Vince Lombardi trophy overhead, linebacker Clay Matthews draped a WWE Championship Belt over his shoulder. After eight years of waiting in the wings, Rodgers was enjoying center stage as the Super Bowl MVP.
His season totals: 312 of 475 passes completed for 3,922 yards, 28 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, 31 sacks. He rushed for 356 yards with an average of 5.6 yards/carry, 4 touchdowns, and 4 fumbles; the third highest rushing yardage for a quarterback in NFL history. His 101.2 passer rating made him the first Green Bay quarterback to achieve 100-plus passer rating in consecutive seasons. He earned a number of awards for the regular season: NFC Offensive Player of the Week (weeks 13 and 16), NFC Offensive Player of the Month, and FedEx Air Player of the Year.
Green Bay fans reveled in the days following the championship. Behind the scenes, however, trouble was brewing as players and owners were failing in their efforts to agree on a new collective bargaining agreement. On March 11, the owners instituted a league-wide lockout that effectively stopped all team operations, including trade/contract negotiations, player signings, team meetings, and training camps.
Several players filed antitrust suits against the owners. As the weeks dragged on without resolution, many players organized group workout sessions with teammates. On July 25th, both sides signed a new 10-year agreement. The 2011 season was back on track.
In the weeks leading up to the 2011 season, the #1 topic of debate was, of course, could the Packers be repeat champions? Rodgers and Co. responded with a roar, charging to a 13-0 record before losing their only game of the season to the Chiefs on Dec. 18. The loss ended a 19-game win streak that extended back to the previous season. The Packers finished the season with a not-quite-perfect 16-1 record, and another trip to postseason play.
Their regular season record earned them a bye in the first round of the playoffs. In the next round, Eli Manning and the Giants stunned everyone with a 37-20 victory that ended the Packers season. In an uncharacteristically anemic performance, Rodgers managed to complete only 47.8% of his passes (11-of-23) and with zero touchdowns. This was in stark contrast to his 84% pass completion (21-of-25) and three touchdowns against the Bears during their regular-season game, and his 67.8% for the season overall.
The early exit from postseason play was a particularly bitter pill for Rodgers, who posted career bests in a number of quarterback metrics during the regular season. He started every game of the season except the last one, after the Packers had clinched home-field advantage for the playoffs. His season totals: 343 of 502 passes completed for 4,643 yards, 45 touchdowns, 6 interceptions, 36 sacks. He rushed for 257 yards with an average of 4.3 yards/carry, 3 touchdowns, and 4 fumbles. His passer rating of 122.5 was the best single-season rating in NFL history.
The awards piled up during and after the season. NFC Offensive Player of the Month (3 times), FedEx Air Player of the Week (6), Green Bay Hall of Fame MVP, Pro Bowl Team, NFL 101 NFC Offensive Player of the Year, AP Male Athlete of the Year, All-Pro Team, AP MVP, Pro Football Writers of America All-NFL team, ESPN ‘Any Era’ Team, Bert Bell Award, and NFL MVP.