Chicago Bears v Green Bay Packers

5 NFL quarterback teammates that disliked each other ft. Aaron Rodgers and Brett Favre

Timeless

Quarterback is the most important position in football. It is easily the most complex and comes with a tremendous amount of pressure. On the flip side, quarterbacks are also the most popular players on a team. The biggest stars in today's game are Patrick Mahomes, Tom Brady, Josh Allen and Aaron Rodgers.

Considering the importance of the position, teams are always under pressure to bring in a top-quality signal-caller. A quarterback who can contribute to his team whilst being on a rookie contract is particularly useful. So much so that teams are constantly on the lookout for the "next big thing" in the position.

With that being the case, it should come as no surprise that a conflict between quarterbacks on the same team can arise. Such conflicts often distract the team from their ultimate goal.

Here are five quarterback teammates who did not get on with each other.

#5 Carson Wentz and Jalen Hurts (Phildadelphia Eagles)

Washington Football Team v Philadelphia Eagles

Carson Wentz was the unquestioned face of the franchise in Philadelphia until injuries and Nick Foles' magical postseason run in 2018 changed everything. After returning to the starting position, Wentz never seemed comfortable in the role.

Subsequently, the Eagles drafted Jalen Hurts as insurance in 2020. But for a quarterback as fragile as Wentz, that move changed the course of his career. Wentz's relationship with head coach Doug Pederson soured after he was benched and moved to the Colts for one season.

He is currently with the Commanders in what seems like a final attempt to hold on to a starting position in the league.

#4 Ben Roethlisberger and Mason Rudolph (Pittsburgh Steelers)

Pittsburgh Steelers v Baltimore Ravens

Over his long career in the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Ben Roethlisberger hasn't always had the most sparkling reputation. So it should come as no surprise that when the Steelers drafted Mason Rudolph, Big Ben didn't make life easy for his back-up.

Rudolph recently mentioned that he would love the opportunity to mentor rookie Kenny Pickett, unlike "someone else." His comment insinuated his disapproval of Roethlisberger's approach to him as a back-up.

Courtney Cronin

@CourtneyRCronin

Ben Roethlisberger said the same thing about Mason Rudolph for those who are outraged by Tannehill’s comment. Lot of veteran QBs hold this same sentiment, just don’t say it publicly. Sports seems like the only place where we demand people train others to eventually take their job twitter.com/TDavenport_NFL…

TURRON DAVENPORT

@TDavenport_NFL

Ryan Tannehill said he doesn't think it's his job to mentor Malik Willis but if he learns from him that'll be a good thing. #Titans

#3 Kirk Cousins and Robert Griffin III (Washington Commanders)

Washington Redskins v Atlanta Falcons

Teammate quarterback rivalries usually arise when an older quarterback is upset when their team drafts a rookie to challenge him for his job. However, for Kirk Cousins and Robert Griffin III, it was a case of two players drafted in the same year battling for supremacy.

While Griffin III had a marvelous rookie year, Cousins has had a sustained career. Now that RG3 is in the media, he's not afraid to take shots at his former teammate. He recently accused Cousins of "collecting checks" despite failing to lead the Vikings to any form of success.

"As you've seen, Cousins has been collecting checks there in Minnesota for a long time, taking them to 8-8, 9-7 seasons," Griffin said. "If he has a bad start to the year like he did last year, I could see the fans and maybe the organization leaning toward Mond if he comes in and impresses."

His comments provide us with some insight into his feelings about the man he shared the quarterback room with at the beginning of his career.

Bleacher Report

@BleacherReport

“Kellen Mond represents exactly what he doesn’t do well. … Cousins has been collecting checks there in Minnesota for a long time.”

@RGiii doesn't think Kirk will be happy with the pick @brgridiron

(@RocketMortgage)

#2 Aaron Rodgers and Brett Favre (Green Bay Packers)

Houston Texans v Green Bay Packers

When Aaron Rodgers fell to Green Bay in the 2005 draft, it seemed like the perfect scenario for the Packers. Brett Favre was still productive and since he was nearing the end of his career, he was expected to be the perfect mentor for Rodgers.

Of course, things didn't play out this way as Favre basically wanted nothing to do with his potential replacement. Ironically, the same thing happened when the Packers drafted Jordan Love. While things don't seem as bad as they did between Rodgers and Favre, the two certainly aren't joined at the hip.

#1 Tom Brady and Jimmy Garoppolo (New England Patriots)

New England Patriots v New York Jets

You can't really blame Tom Brady for being upset that Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots drafted Jimmy Garoppolo in the 2014 draft.

Reports at the time claimed that Belichick was ready to move on from Brady, but Patriots owner Robert Kraft opposed the idea. Garoppolo was well-liked in the Patriots locker room, which made him a viable successor to Tom Brady.

However, once Brady found out Belichick had sided with Jimmy G, their relationship was never the same again.

“We drafted Jimmy, and I just thought, like every other time, you embrace them, they’re you’re teammate,” Brady said. “Now, we drafted Jimmy higher. Coach Belichick referenced my age to me, referenced it to the media. In my mind, I was thinking, ‘What are you talking about?'”

“I think he was just referencing, well, not many quarterbacks have ever played and been successful late in their career, and that’s just a fact," Brady said. "Of course, for me, I was just like, I don’t care about any of those things."

Edited by
Nicolaas Ackermann