🏈 A Matchup Between NFL Icons Is Approaching

When two of the greatest quarterbacks of all time meet head-to-head, it is fuel for excellence. [View in browser]( [FOX SPORTS INSIDER WITH MARTIN ROGERS] In today’s FOX Sports Insider: Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers are set to go head-to-head in one of the most anticipated matchups of the NFL season... we go inside Clayton Kershaw’s journey to rediscover himself ... and we take a look at the Brooklyn Nets’ classic edition throwback uniforms. Tom Brady vs. Aaron Rodgers looks likely to forever remain one of those mythical Super Bowl matchups that could, and probably should have taken place - but never quite did. Now that they’re in the same conference, we’re not going to see two of modern American sports’ biggest icons square off in the grandest game of all, barring some remarkable turn of events as time ticks down toward the end of their glittering respective careers. Yet this weekend, Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Rodgers’ Green Bay Packers meet in a battle with major seasonal ramifications for both. It also provides a chance for the pair to lock horns for only the third time. And they’re getting ready for it … by resembling a pair of grumpy old men. Okay, so that’s a somewhat cheeky and moderately unkind take, but the fact remains that each man is bristling right now, irked by either situation or perception and making little attempt to disguise it. [STORY IMAGE 1] “Brady’s yelling and screaming at his teammates,” [FOX Sports’ Shannon Sharpe said on Undisputed](. “I don’t like that.” Despite the Bucs sitting on top of the NFC South, Brady’s frustration with his offensive line was on full display last Thursday in a 20-19 defeat to the Chicago Bears. He got a pass from head coach Bruce Arians, who said he had no problem with the furious outburst on the sidelines, but not everyone was so forgiving. “I have got a big problem with it,” Sharpe added. “He is not the coach. Tom Brady’s name does not appear on (a player’s) check. I believe there is a healthy level of respect that must be shown between teammates, however great you are. I get he was frustrated. I don’t like that Tom turned to the guys and yelled and was cursing. You have to be careful of things like that.” As for Rodgers, the Packers’ perfect 4-0 start to this disrupted campaign has not prevented him from getting spiky, a mindset that seems to have started the moment Green Bay drafted his potential successor, Jordan Love. In media interviews, Rodgers has been subtly and sometimes not-so-subtly hurling out jabs at everyone from his critics to other quarterbacks to even the Monday Night Football commentary crew. [STORY IMAGE 2] “I sometimes laugh when people talk about down years for me because a lot of times down years for me are career years for other quarterbacks,” [Rodgers said on Pat McAfee’s Sirius XM show](. And thus, rather than a wave of feel-good nostalgia as two players with off-the-charts respect for each other get ready to meet, there is instead a dusting of angst in the air with both men nursing a chip on their pigskin-propelling shoulders. In truth, there is something rather wonderful about the fact that they are all wound up. When the greatest players in sports get amped, it is not a distraction, it is fuel for excellence. It is fascinating drama not because there is any great sense of enjoyment in seeing people get upset, but because it is the ultimate proof that two all-time legends care as much as ever, even after all this time. Which is, of course, precisely what you want from such iconic figures. Knowing they are about to face each other probably gets the juices flowing a little bit more. This year’s reworked playoff format gives extra incentive for Rodgers and the Packers, who would dearly love an additional winter week off. “You could argue this game is far, far more important for Green Bay,” [FS1’s Nick Wright said on First Things First](. “Green Bay is fighting for the one-seed. The expansion of the playoffs and only having one bye makes the one-seed more valuable this year than any year in NFL history.” [STORY IMAGE 3] Brady vs. Rodgers is a tussle that might have become much more. Had Green Bay not famously imploded in the 2014 NFC Championship, it would have been the Packers, not the Seattle Seahawks, who faced Brady’s New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. In 2010, the year of Rodgers’ sole title, the 14-2 Patriots were shocked by the New York Jets in the divisional round. On Sunday, Brady’s new team has the chance to not only create some separation in the NFC South, but also put a gloss on his Tampa Bay resume. As always, when two elites come face to face, it is natural to compare the two. For former NFL QB and current FOX Sports NFL analyst Michael Vick, the weight of Brady’s Super Bowl haul (six) makes it a no-contest. “Tom Brady has been the better quarterback over the last 15 years,” Vick said. “The resume speaks for itself. When you look at Aaron Rodgers’ talent, he was able to make guys like Greg Jennings and Donald Driver even better. But these QBs had the opportunity to go to the big dance multiple times, and Brady did it.” Right now, Rodgers has arguably the greater chance to add to his number. According to [FOX Bet]( the Packers are currently listed at +900 to win the Lombardi Trophy, while the Bucs are at +1800. [STORY IMAGE 4] Here is the bit where we put in the obligatory thing that all QBs say when they prepare to meet each other and does absolutely nothing to impinge upon our excitement of what follows. “We have mutual admiration and respect,” Rodgers told reporters, before insisting vehemently that each QB against the opposition is “however it should be viewed.” Thanks Aaron, but please forgive us if we don’t quite see it that way. Everyone else will regard it as one of the most-anticipated games of the season, a QB head-to-head matchup almost beyond compare and something to get seriously excited about. Come Sunday night, one of the grumpy guys is going to be smiling. [STORY IMAGE 5] Here’s what others have said ... Skip Bayless, Undisputed: “The greatest thrower of the football, especially under pressure, is Tom Brady and it's not even close. To dare to make the case that Aaron Rodgers is somehow better, is way more farfetched than a LeBron over Jordan argument.” Nathaniel Hackett, Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator: “It’s great entertainment. I mean, you can’t ask for anything better than this — these two guys, going against each other. Now, when it comes to those two guys, from the standpoint of how it affects them, they’re at such a high level that I don’t even think they think of it. They’re just out there to do their job. They understand what they have to get done and they’re going to go out there and execute.” Emmanuel Acho, Speak For Yourself: “Tom Brady has been to nine Super Bowls, Aaron Rodgers has only been to one. We’ve decided in sports that winning means something. Winning actually is the trump card. Winning, although it’s not necessarly a physically tangible metric, it means something. If you just want to go off the fact that Aaron Rodgers is a better passer or more physically capable, you can make that same argument. But what is the trump card? What is the big joker? What is the draw four? What is the royal flush? What is the black jack? It is winning titles, and that is what Tom Brady does better than anyone.” [IN OTHER WORDS] - Tyrann Mathieu is the NFL’s new model defender. [Dominique Foxworth of The Undefeated]( explains how the Honey Badger is changing the game. - When you hear the name Arch Manning, it's easy to skip past a high school sophomore and focus on the family legacy. [ESPN's Tom VanHaaren and Craig Haubert]( explain why Peyton's nephew is the game's next football phenom. - Over the past year, the best pitcher in baseball began to consider that he doesn’t have it all figured out. [Sports Illustrated’s Stephanie Apstein]( takes us inside Clayton Kershaw’s journey to rediscover himself. [THE INTERNET IS UNDEFEATED] [THE INTERNET IS UNDEFEATED]( The Brooklyn Nets are paying homage to a classic by bringing back a retro version of their early 90’s uniforms. Check of this photo, which shows off the Nets' 2020-21 Classic Edition throwback uniforms. This will mark the 30th anniversary of when these jerseys were originally worn, dating back to the Drazen Petrovic and Derrick Coleman days. The light blue tie-dye jerseys are certainly a vibe, and one that fans across the league are going to love. Here’s to hoping next year’s team, which will feature the duo of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, is as fun as these jerseys are. [VIEWER'S GUIDE] Tampa Bay Rays vs. Houston Astros (TBS, 5 p.m. ET) Alex Bregman and the Houston Astros go up against the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series. Georgia State at Arkansas State (ESPN, 7:30 p.m. ET) Logan Bonner and the Arkansas State Red Wolves host Destin Coates and the Georgia State Panthers. Atlanta Braves vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (FOX/FS1, 8 p.m. ET) Mookie Betts and the Los Angeles Dodgers take on the Atlanta Braves in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series. [BET OF THE DAY] [BET OF THE DAY]( Odds provided by [FOX Bet]( This week's [NFL Super 6 contest]( features a much-anticipated matchup between two of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, in prime time. But more importantly, it offers you a chance to win $1 million – yes, you read that right – $1 MILLION … and it’s absolutely free. Here is a look at the six contests, with picks via FOX Sports’ Jason McIntyre: Vikings by 7-9 points vs. Falcons Colts by 10-14 points vs. Bengals Lions by 4-6 points at Jaguars Giants by 1-3 points vs. Washington Football Team Panthers by 1-3 points vs. Bears Buccaneers by 1-3 points vs. Packers [WHAT THEY SAID] “Leadership can’t be forced or contrived. It has to be your personality” — Aaron Rodgers [FOLLOW FOX SPORTS] [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [YouTube]( [Instagram]( Download FOX Sports App: [Fire TV]( [Roku]( [Google Play]( [App Store]( [Fire TV]( [Roku]( [App Store]( [Google Play]( Also available on these devices: [fireTV | AppleTV | ROKU | Google Chromecast | XBOX ONE | SAMSUNG Smart TV] [fireTV | AppleTV | ROKU | Google Chromecast | XBOX ONE | SAMSUNG Smart TV] Trademark & Copyright Notice: ™ and © 2020 Fox Media LLC and FOX Sports Interactive Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Please do not reply to this message. If you do not wish to receive emails like this in the future, please [unsubscribe](. FOX Sports respects your privacy. Click [here]( to view our Privacy Policy. Fox.com Business & Legal Affairs - Manager Digital Media P.O. Box 900 Beverly Hills, California 90213-0900