Aaron Rodgers was drafted 24th overall in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He became the Packers’ starting quarterback in 2008 and spent 18 seasons in Green Bay before being traded to the Jets in the 2023 offseason.
One of Rodgers’s biggest gripes throughout his time at Green Bay was that the Packers never used high draft capital on a receiver while he was the starting quarterback. However, this didn’t stop him from winning Super Bowl XLV or the league’s MVP Award four times (2011, 2014, 2020, 2021).
Still, what started as just happenstance or a wild coincidence became borderline eerie after a while. In fact, Green Bay never used a first-round pick on a wide receiver for Rodgers but did use one on Jordan Love when it selected him with the 26th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
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Aaron Rodgers throws first TD to first-round WR
Rodgers was traded to New York during the 2023 offseason. That summer resulted in a lot of hype and hope for the Jets’ faithful, but it came to a crashing halt in the first game of the season when Rodgers tore his ACL on the first offensive drive. He could not return that year and turned all his focus into coming back in 2024.
The quarterback was healthy to start the 2024 campaign and led the Jets to a 1-1 record over the first two games. Rodgers threw a combined three touchdowns, but they went to former Packers teammate Allen Lazard, running back Braelon Allen, and running back Breece Hall.
Rodgers went into the Week 3 matchup against the Patriots with a career 478 passing touchdowns. He started the game with a bang and found Lazard in the first quarter for a score.
Rodgers. Lazard. SIX!
And the @nyjets love it for their QB ❤️#NEvsNYJ on Prime Video
Also streaming on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/tk33ykcpMV— NFL (@NFL) September 20, 2024
Rodgers then connected with Garrett Wilson on a two-yard touchdown in the third quarter. It was passing touchdown No. 480 for the quarterback, and it was the first of his career that he went to a wide receiver drafted in the first round. New York selected Wilson with the 10th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
8️⃣ to 5️⃣
Garrett Wilson grabs his first TD from Aaron Rodgers!#NEvsNYJ on Prime Video
Also streaming on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/FD2MMsD6pY— NFL (@NFL) September 20, 2024
Tight end Marcedes Lewis is the only other first-round pick who has caught a touchdown from Rodgers. Now in his 19th season with the Bears, Lewis was originally drafted 28th overall by Jacksonville in 2006. The 40-year-old backup currently plays for the Bears but spent five seasons with Green Bay from 2018-22, catching six TDs.
