Mike Zimmer's first preseason game as the Cincinnati Bengals' defensive coordinator, against the Green Bay Packers, came on Aug. 11, 2008, when Lambeau Field was a cauldron of controversy. The Packers had traded Brett Favre four days earlier, and were casting their lot with 24-year-old starter Aaron Rodgers — who'd been booed at the team's Family Night scrimmage the week before.
Zimmer talked with Packers coach Mike McCarthy that night about his new quarterback, saw Rodgers endear himself to Packers fans with a 30-yard touchdown pass and went on his way. The next year, when the Packers traveled to Cincinnati for a preseason game, Zimmer saw Rodgers do something that signaled things had changed.
"He ducked under a guy, spun, rolled to his right and threw a 30-yard dart on the sideline," Zimmer said. "Since that day I've had the utmost respect for this guy."
Zimmer and Rodgers have each exacted their share of blows on the other one over the years, with Cincinnati beating Green Bay twice in Zimmer's time there and the Packers winning four out of six against Zimmer's Vikings with Rodgers on the field for the entire game.
The Vikings beat the Packers to win the NFC North on Jan. 3, 2016, though, and they've won three of the past four games Rodgers started, including last year's Oct. 15 victory where a hit from linebacker Anthony Barr broke Rodgers' right collarbone.
That game came a week after one of Rodgers' myth-making victories, during which he'd led the Packers back from a 21-6 deficit at Dallas, throwing the game-winning touchdown to Davante Adams with 11 seconds left. Rodgers topped the feat Sunday night, returning from a left knee injury to bring the Packers back from a 20-0 deficit, completing 17 of his 23 second-half passes for 273 yards and three touchdowns for a 24-23 win.
Rodgers said Sunday night on NBC that he would play against the Vikings this week, though McCarthy said Monday that no decision had been made about Rodgers' status. In any case, the Vikings will be ready for Rodgers, knowing they should expect nothing less than his best shot.
"The guy is an unbelievable player," Zimmer said. "He's obviously — I don't want to say anybody's the best — but he's pretty darn close to being the best guy."