In the four months since I took my post as the Site Expert here at Toro Times, I've mentioned on a handful of occasions that even though I have a legitimate rooting interest in the Houston Texans, my favorite football team has been and always will be the Chicago Bears. That's a convenient thing for me to say in 2026, when the Bears have emerged as a 'team of destiny' of some sort, but it wasn't too long ago when there was no franchise as rudderless or hopeless as Da Bears.
You don't need me to tell you that the Bears primary rival has always been the Green Bay Packers, but from 2008 to 2022, the smug face of this rivalry was former Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who much to my dismay admittedly had Chicago's number for the entirety of his tenure as the Green Bay Packers quarterback.
Rodgers went 25-5 versus the Bears during his time with the Packers, delivering death blows that ranged from embarrasing, one-sided blowouts to heart-breaking, last-second losses that still sting to this day. And to make matters worse, he seemed to really savor sticking it to Chicago, routinely telling Bears fans, "I own you." Hell, even after Rodgers left Green Bay under somewhat contentious circumstances, he continued to twist the knife, congratulating Jordan Love for, "keeping the ownership in place," even as he was playing elsewhere.
If there was any chance that Bears fans would get over that hatred for Rodgers once he left Green Bay, it ended there, when this conspiracy theory touting, holier than thou [redacted] continued to stoke the flames of this rivalry even as he was recovering from an achilles tear he suffered in his first game with the New York Jets. For me, Rodgers is and will forever be public enemy number one. My least favorite athlete ever. Someone who, for me at least, legitimately walks the line between sports hate and real hate.
That's why last night, as the swarming Houston Texans defense put an unadulterated beatdown on Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers, I couldn't help but sit there with a big old smile on my face, basking in Rodgers' misery and piss-poor play.
I don't have any clue if Aaron Rodgers will be back in the NFL next year for what would be his 22nd NFL season, but I do know that in my eyes, this was the perfect send-off for one of the crummiest individuals to ever sling the pigskin.
Now don't be mistaken... I'm not sitting here trying to pretend that Aaron Rodgers isn't one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. Unfortunately, he is. I'm hateful, not delusional. In terms of accolades and eye-test, he's one of the very best ever. Over the last quarter-century, there are probably only three other quarterbacks -- Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Patrick Mahomes -- that give you a better chance to win on their best day than Rodgers does.
But Rodgers' best days are far behind him, and maybe there was once a time when he could've withstood the tenacity and talent of the Texans defense, but in 2026, the old man didn't stand a chance. Houston's defense hit Rodgers a dozen times, sacked him four more, and scored a pair of 4th quarter touchdowns at his expense, potentially delivering the proverbial final nail in the coffin of his long and polarizing career.
Every time Rodgers had to peel himself off the ground, wincing in pain and looking like a total goof with his chinstrap up around his nose after being drilled Will Anderson Jr., Danielle Hunter or an equally hungry member of the Texans defense, it warmed my heart, much like a mug of warm cider would on a cold winter's evening.
Every time Rodgers threw a ball into the dirt -- and boy were there plenty -- it allowed me to breath a sigh of relief, knowing this monster who has haunted my dreams is actually mortal.
Both times a Rodgers turnover was converted into six points for Houston, I giggled like a schoolgirl, giddy to see my unknowing nemesis have such an awful time playing a game that he had mastered for so long.
So with all of that said, I want to thank Matt Burke, DeMeco Ryans, and this entire Texans defense for giving me an Aaron Rodgers moment I'll be able to fondly look back upon. There weren't many, so just like Rodgers did with his torment of the Chicago Bears, I'll relish this one for a long time to come.