Who Mourns for Aaron Rodgers?

Over three years ago, Aaron Rodgers was selected by the Green Bay Packers with the 24th pick in the Draft.

He spent 2005 as a back-up, but had to spend the off-season in limbo as Brett Favre turned ESPN's NFL Live into a soap opera over his possible retirement. Favre decided to stay, and Rodgers was still #2 on the depth chart.

Rodgers got the token playing time a #2 QB gets: kneeling the ball in victories, and playing late in blowouts. In November of 2006, he broke his foot in a 35-0 loss to the Pats.

Once again, Brett Favre played Hamlet and asked "To retire, or not to retire?" Once again, he decided to stick around, metaphorically shoving Rodgers back to the bench.

At the end of the 2007 season, Favre's weepy retirement speech signified the start of the Aaron Rodgers era in Green Bay, or so it seemed. The Packers kept Favre's locker vacant. This sparked rumors of a possible return, and at the very least symbolized that Favre's bloated legacy would never leave the room.

Now Favre is at the center of comeback talks. Just as Rodgers is on the verge of his first training camp as an NFL starter, Favre and the media have generated a perfect storm of distraction for Rodgers and the team.

I'm not saying I pity Aaron Rodgers. He's a millionaire professional athlete. But you have to feel bad for a guy in this spot. This is his fourth season in the NFL, but his career has been defined by what Brett Favre has and hasn't done. That just sucks.

-The Commodore