Patriots vs. Packers: Aaron Rodgers Repays Tom Brady Praise, Ends GOAT Debate

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has repaid in kind all the praises thrown at him — no pun intended — by New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady ahead their clash at the Gillette Stadium on Sunday night.

The two quarterbacks are considered to be among the greatest of the current generation but have very rarely come up against each other on the field. Sunday will be the third time they come face-to-face in their respective careers with the last coming in 2014 when the Packers won 26-21 at Lambeau Field.

Brady was asked about Rodgers during a recent interview and the veteran Patriots quarterback called his counterpart an inspiration and admitted that he made him want to be a better player. And Rodgers did not hold back and revealed that he watched a ton of Brady’s game footage while coming through the ranks as a young player.

“The feeling’s mutual,” Rodgers said reciprocating Brady’s admiration for him, according to NESN. “As a young player, I watched a ton of his film. I had a great guy to watch every single day in Brett Favre, but Tommy’s been at the top of his game for a long, long time.”

The two quarterbacks are considered as the best of their generation, so it was obvious that the GOAT — the greatest of all time — debate cropped up during both their interviews. Brady took a diplomatic stance and admitted that it was an impossible question to answer. But, he did name Rodgers as one the best ever.

The Packers quarterback, on the other hand, had a definitive answer when asked about being part of the GOAT debate. Rodgers was very clear in his answer and believes Brady takes the accolade owing to his achievements with the Patriots.

"He's got five championships," Rodgers told ESPN’s Rob Demovsky on Wednesday ahead of their showdown on Sunday. "I think that ends most discussions."

Rodgers, who recently signed a new four-year contract worth $134 million with the Packers, revealed that Brady is a true inspiration for players such as him as he too envisions playing well into his 40’s. He also labeled the 41-year-old Patriots star a “unicorn” and believes there are very few like the five-time Super Bowl champion.

"The stuff he does on the field is phenomenal, and then to see him, as he’s gotten older in his career, just continue to reinvent himself year after year and play at a high level every season, obviously winning championships, he’s a phenomenal player,” Rodgers said.

“He’s a pioneer as far as taking care of his body and rewriting the longevity books for players of his caliber. It’s been really impressive to watch, and whenever I get a chance, whether he’s on Thursday night, Sunday night, Monday night, I’m for sure tuning in. He’s an outlier. He’s a unicorn. There’s not many like him,” he added.