With the 49ers preparing for their divisional round showdown against the Packers on Saturday, they’re readying to face a new Green Bay quarterback under center.
When discussing the highly anticipated matchup with reporters Wednesday, 49ers veteran defensive end Nick Bosa offered a curious comparison between the Packers’ first-year starter, Jordan Love, and their former quarterback, Aaron Rodgers.
“They have a lot of the same guys from the past really good teams they’ve had and a quarterback who does exactly what he’s coached to do,” Bosa said, according to the San Francisco-based KNBR.
“Aaron Rodgers is a Hall of Famer and unbelievable but he kind of went outside of the realm of coaching, and sometimes it’s good when you have a guy who does what he’s coached to do.”
Rodgers, whose 18-season career in Green Bay ended last offseason when he was traded to the Jets, clashed with head coach Matt LaFleur’s playcalling in the past and would freestyle at times.
Though the pair reached the postseason three out of their four years working together, Bosa’s 49ers ended the Packers’ playoff runs in January 2020 and 2022, with losses in the NFC Championship game and divisional round, respectively.
The Packers officially turned the page to Love in 2023 after three years as Rodgers’ understudy, with Green Bay finishing the regular season at 9-8.
The 25-year-old quarterback delivered an impressive playoff debut last Sunday when the Packers decimated the Cowboys in Dallas, 48-32, in which he threw for 272 yards and three touchdowns without a turnover.
“He’s really good at going through his reads, playing the offense to a tee,” Bosa said in relation to Love, according to NBC Sports San Francisco.
“We definitely need to stop the run. I don’t think many teams have made him uncomfortable, yet. So stopping the run and covering up those easy open guys is something we have to do.”
The 49ers enter Saturday’s contest as the NFC’s No. 1 seed after finishing the regular season at 12-5.
Bosa, 26, tallied 10.5 sacks during the regular season.
Rodgers, 40, meanwhile, missed almost all of the 2023 season after suffering an Achilles injury just four plays into his Jets career.
He has spent part of the new year embroiled in controversies.