"Blame deflecting finger pointing diva": Skip Bayless tears into Aaron Rodgers over “me-first” tone in nostalgic Packers tribute

Skipy Bayless was not a fan of Aaron Rodgers' comments before taking on his former team, the Green Bay Packers, as a Steeler this Sunday. On Saturday, on "The Arena: Gridiron", he ripped into the veteran quarterback for his narcissistic tone on the situation,

"Sounds to me like he's already retired," Bayless said. "I just didn't like any of it, because it was all about me, me, me, but that's who Aaron is- all-time blame-deflecting finger-pointing diva. If I'm a Pittsburgh Steeler right now, I don't want to hear my new quarterback talking about the great old days back in Green Bay. That would be offensive to me."

Aaron Rodgers will face the Packers for the first time since departing from Green Bay in 2023. He spent two seasons with the Jets before joining the Pittsburgh Steelers this June.

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Ahead of this Sunday's game, a narrative is being built about the four-time NFL MVP's "revenge game" against the Packers for trading him in 2023 after 18 seasons and a Super Bowl championship.

However, the quarterback shut down these reports, stating that he has no animosity against his former team and wishes to retire as a Packer.

"It was such a tight knit group for so long there," Rodgers said as per ESPN. "I outlasted most of them, but it's fun, that's why I feel so good about my time there because damn near everything great in my life is because of my football career, and my football career starts and will end one day with Green Bay. I've got a lot of love for those memories and a lot of great friends that I still carry with me to this day."

During his 18-season stint with the team, Aaron Rodgers tallied a total of 59,055 yards and 475 touchdowns passing.

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Packers HC Matt LaFleur shuts down hype surrounding Aaron Rodgers first game against the Packers

Despite the narrative created by the media, Matt LaFleur looks at Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in a different light.

He shut down the hype about facing the four-time NFL MVP on the field.

"We're playing the Pittsburgh Steelers, who happen to have Aaron Rodgers," LaFleur said as per a tweet by Blitzburgh. "It's as simple as that. That is for you guys to talk about. Granted, I mean we've got a lot of respect and love for Aaron. I mean, what he's done here. He is a Hall of Famer. And I know our past together, we had a lot of good memories. But this game is not about that."

The Steelers vs Packers game kicks off at 8:20 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on NBC, Peacock, and NFL+.

Edited by Priyam Hazarika