Aaron Rodgers Says The First Pick He Threw Against The Saints Is ‘Entirely Due To The Double Nut Shot I Took’

Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers struggled mightily in their 2021 season opener. The Packers took on the New Orleans Saints and got ran off the field, with New Orleans picking up a 38-3 win. Rodgers, the reigning NFL MVP, did not look like someone capable of making magic when he’s on the field, going 15-for-28 with 133 yards, no touchdowns, and a pair of interceptions.

Rodgers appeared on the Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday and discussed the game. Specifically, he wanted to point out one play: the first interception that he threw. As Rodgers tells it, he took a pair of shots below the belt that led to him getting picked off by rookie defensive back Paulson Adebo.

“I don’t like to make a lot of excuses for interceptions,” Rodgers said. “There’s some sh*t ones, there’s some ones you wish you had back, there’s some ones that really aren’t your fault. That one was entirely due to the double nut shot I took.”

As Rodgers explained, he was trying to step up in the pocket and throw the ball to Davante Adams, but while he tried doing that, disaster struck. He took a “left kinda clothesline” and “somebody on the right, with a right kind of cross.”

“I guess I’ve gotta overcome that and throw a better ball in that situation,” Rodgers said, much to the delight of McAfee and AJ Hawk. “That was a painful one, they got their money’s worth on that one.”

Let us consult the tape:

This is certainly not to take away from Adebo, who will forever get to say that his first career pick came against one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. But while it’s hard to totally make out what happens in the pocket, it does seem pretty obvious that something happened to Rodgers, because it is exceedingly rare for him to miss a receiver that badly. At the very least, let this be a lesson to any young football player (and also Aaron Rodgers): wear a cup.