Broncos report: Peterson feels new Packers QB's pain
By Jeff Legwold, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
August 19, 2008
Photo by Barry Gutierrez
Broncos defensive tackle Kenny Peterson, who spent three seasons in Green Bay, says he is confident "Aaron is going to try and do a good job of making his own legacy, as hard as it may be sometimes.?
ENGLEWOOD ? Broncos defensive tackle Kenny Peterson has lived life in the fish bowl that is the NFL's smallest city.
He spent three seasons with the Green Bay Packers after being the team's third-round draft pick in 2003. And that means he also spent three years around the Brett Favre phenomenon and knows exactly what Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is going through in the wake of Favre's messy divorce from the Packers.
"I'm sure the team, the coaches, are trying to do a good job of trying not to let outside distractions reach him," Peterson said Tuesday. "He's a good guy, very bright. But that said, Brett Favre is Green Bay, and you can't get away from that, so I know Aaron is going to try and do a good job of making his own legacy, as hard as it may be sometimes."
Rodgers and the Packers will be in Invesco Field at Mile High on Friday night (7, CBS 4) for a preseason game with the Broncos.
The Packers are 0-2 in the preseason, and most of their training camp has been spent in the swirl of Favre's desire to return to the team after announcing his retirement earlier this year and the team's desire to have Rodgers at quarterback.
In the end, with a battalion of television trucks parked on the team's doorstep, Favre was traded to the New York Jets while Rodgers has gone 18-for-31 passing (58.1 percent) in the preseason for 175 yards to go with a touchdown and an interception. His longest completion has been for 30 yards, and he has been sacked six times in his limited work.
Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler, who has spent some time dealing with the legacy of a Hall of Fame quarterback, said he has spoken with Rodgers off and on. Cutler has also played in a golf tournament with Rodgers.
"I wish him the best of luck. I'm excited to see him play," Cutler said. " . . . I can't imagine being in that situation, having a guy like Brett Favre and just what he's done on the field, all of his accomplishments, and have to take over for him.
"He's a good guy . . . we talk every once in a while."
Peterson said in some ways it can be easier for players to move around in Green Bay because fans see them so often, but because of Rodgers' circumstances it might be different for him.
"People do give you your space there," Peterson said. "For the most part, everybody respects your space. Since it is a small city, they've got a better understanding of being in close proximity with the players because they're just going to bump into them more.
"But they definitely know who you are, I mean everybody, especially if you're drafted there."