It is one of the most painful, awkward, and ultimately legendary moments in the history of the NFL. You’ve seen the footage. A young man with a soul patch, wearing a slightly oversized suit, sitting in a plastic chair back in 2005 while the green room empties out around him. His name, obviously, is Aaron Rodgers.
Honestly, it’s hard to imagine now. We’re sitting here in 2026, and Rodgers has a career that spans two decades, multiple franchises, and enough MVP trophies to fill a small U-Haul. But if you want to know when was rodgers drafted, the answer isn't just a date on a calendar. It's a four-hour televised freefall that changed the trajectory of three different NFL franchises.
The Long Wait: April 23, 2005
The 70th NFL Draft kicked off on April 23, 2005, at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City. At the time, the big debate was Smith vs. Rodgers. Alex Smith was the athletic, high-upside kid from Utah. Rodgers was the local product from Cal-Berkeley with the "cocky" attitude and a lighting-fast release.
Most experts thought the San Francisco 49ers would keep the local kid at home. They had the number one overall pick. They needed a savior. But then-coach Mike Nolan and the Niners front office got "paralysis by analysis." They worried Rodgers was too arrogant. They worried about his "Jeff Tedford system" mechanics.
So they took Alex Smith.
That was the moment the slide began. Rodgers, who had been told he might go first, didn't just drop a few spots. He fell past the Dolphins at #2, who took Ronnie Brown. He fell past the Browns, the Bears, and the Bucs.
When Was Rodgers Drafted and Why Did He Fall?
People always ask how 23 teams could possibly look at a future Hall of Famer and say, "Nah, we're good." It's one of those things that looks ridiculous in hindsight but made a weird kind of sense to terrified GMs at the time.
Basically, the middle of the first round in 2005 was a graveyard of "safe" picks. Teams were drafting for immediate needs rather than long-term greatness. The Vikings took Troy Williamson at #7. The Lions took Mike Williams at #10. Both are considered massive busts today.
By the time the Green Bay Packers were on the clock at #24, Ted Thompson—the first-year GM—couldn't believe his luck. The Packers didn't even need a quarterback. They had a guy named Brett Favre. You might have heard of him.
But Thompson was a "best player available" purist. He saw a top-three talent sitting at 24 and pulled the trigger.
Aaron Rodgers was officially drafted by the Green Bay Packers with the 24th overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft.
The Aftermath of the 24th Pick
If you’re looking for the exact moment the "chip on the shoulder" was born, it was that afternoon in New York. When a reporter asked him how disappointed he was that he wasn't a 49er, Rodgers famously replied, "Not as disappointed as the 49ers will be that they didn't draft me."
He wasn't lying.
Rodgers sat behind Favre for three years. Three long years of being a backup while the media wondered if he was a bust. But that wait allowed him to rebuild his throwing motion. He held the ball high at Cal; in Green Bay, he lowered his shelf. He learned the nuances of the West Coast offense.
By the time he took over in 2008, he was a refined weapon.
The Teams That Passed (And Probably Regret It)
It’s fun to look back at the rosters of teams that skipped him. The Dallas Cowboys had two chances. They took DeMarcus Ware (who became a legend) and Marcus Spears. The Washington Redskins (now Commanders) took Carlos Rogers at #9 and then actually traded back into the first round at #25 to take Jason Campbell.
Think about that. Washington waited until one pick after Rodgers was gone to take a different quarterback.
Where is Rodgers Now?
Fast forward to 2026. The story has had some wild chapters. After 18 seasons and a Super Bowl in Green Bay, Rodgers had that brief, injury-plagued stint with the New York Jets. Now, he’s finishing up what many expect to be his final run with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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He’s 42 years old. He’s the oldest active player in the league. His career earnings have eclipsed $394 million. All of that—the records, the drama, the "immunized" headlines, the darkness retreats—it all started because 23 teams didn't think he was the guy.
Key Takeaways from the 2005 Draft
- Draft Position: 24th Overall (Round 1)
- Team: Green Bay Packers
- Date: April 23, 2005
- The "Big Mistake": San Francisco taking Alex Smith at #1
- The "Ted Thompson" Factor: Drafted Rodgers despite having a healthy, legendary starter in Brett Favre.
If you're ever feeling overlooked in your own career, just remember Aaron Rodgers in the green room. He sat there for nearly five hours while the world watched him "fail" on national TV.
Sometimes, the "fall" is just the setup for a 21-year climb.
If you're tracking Rodgers' final stats as he closes out his time in Pittsburgh, keep an eye on his touchdown-to-interception ratio. Even at 42, he’s still hovering around that career 102.2 passer rating. You can find live updates on his current season performance through the official NFL stats portal or your favorite sportsbook tracker.