The 42-year-old Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, may have a bad rapport with some fanbases. However, to his offensive linemen, he is always the one who goes all out. In fact, one former Packers teammate, Cameron Stephenson, believes Rodgers didn’t just meet the expectations; he exceeded them every day, especially when compared to the man he replaced in Green Bay, Brett Favre.

“Aaron was awesome. He took care of us,” Stephenson said in an interview with Steelers Takeaway yesterday. “For Christmas, he bought the entire number two linemen MacBooks. Brett Favre didn’t get us anything! We thought that was funny.

“Aaron’s house was always open in the offseason for us to hang out. He beat me in ping-pong – he was the self-anointed ping-pong champion. He had a chef that was always there cooking for people. I see the media bashing him all the time but he was the most awesome guy to all of us.” 

Stephenson had a short stint in Wisconsin, but he got to share the lockerroom with both Favre and Rodgers. His first season was on Green Bay’s practice squad, after which he was re-signed in 2008 to be the future center with Rodgers taking over. However, a calf tear derailed his season, and he was ultimately waived.

Even in that short span, Rodgers left a strong impression on Stephenson. For a quarterback just taking the reins, MacBooks would have been hefty presents. However, to Rodgers, showing appreciation to his offensive line was always important, something that contrasted with Favre.

Favre, who was the much bigger star in Green Bay at the time, had played for the Packers from 1992 to 2008, led the team to a Super Bowl victory, and became a franchise legend. But when it came to opening his wallet, Favre’s reputation wasn’t exactly glowing. That reputation was cemented by a story former Packers guard Aaron Taylor shared with the NFL in 2014.

After Green Bay lost Super Bowl XXXII to the Denver Broncos, Brett Favre told his offensive linemen he would take them to Cancun for an all-expenses-paid vacation. Sounds generous, right? But there was a catch. 

Taylor noted that Favre had actually arranged a free trip on the condition that his teammates would sign autographs to earn their stay in Cancun. Once they arrived in Cancun, Green Bay’s linemen had to go down to the hotel lobby at night for autograph sessions. 

“I would have taken a sharpie pen, frickin’ wet wipes, anything, man,” Taylor said in the interview while laughing about Favre’s stinginess. “IsoToners, we didn’t even get disposable gloves back then.”

It’s a funny story, but it also reinforces the point: Favre wasn’t exactly known for spoiling his teammates.

Favre tries to explain his gifting through Jordan Love

Meanwhile, Brett Favre has recently tried to clear the air about his own gifting habits. On an episode of 4th and Favre, he admitted that he did give presents sometimes – just not very often.

“I think my first or second year, I bought watches for the line,” Favre said. “I got Sterling [Sharpe] a watch because he broke the reception record.”

Sterling Sharpe earned a watch from Favre in 1992 after he made a record by catching 108 passes as Favre’s top target. Still, in an era where QBs like Tom Brady gifted Ugg boots, and Tony Romo handed out Louis Vuitton luggage, Favre’s gifts looked modest. But Favre’s teammates never really took it personally. 

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The Packers’ legend’s humble upbringing in small-town Mississippi likely had more to do with his frugality than any lack of appreciation. That’s why Favre recently defended Packers QB Jordan Love, who gave his offensive line Nike Dunk shoes for Christmas.

“No. To each his own,” Favre said on 4th and Favre. “Every guy in pro football makes really good money and can afford their own truck or their own shoes, their own watch. I don’t think, Jordan, by any means is cheap.”

The retail price of Nike Dunks is about $120 a pair, which means Jordan Love spent roughly $5,000 in total on his teammates. But considering he signed a four-year, $220 million extension in July 2024, some thought the gifts didn’t complement his contract numbers. Comparisons to the Christmas gifts given by other QBs like Rodgers did not reduce the criticism around Love either.

Aaron Rodgers, however, clearly operated differently. 

Aaron Rodgers still keeps his home open to his teammates

When he signed with the Steelers and the team left for their training camp, Rodgers made sure he was a friend to his teammates off the field. They played video games through the night, something that even made his primary wide receiver, DK Metcalf, jealous as he couldn’t get a chance to play with him.

Throughout his Steelers tenure, many teammates have also revealed how the future Hall of Famer would invite them over to his house for dinners and game nights. But Aaron Rodgers did not just show generosity with gifts and hospitality; he also knew how to lift his teammates’ spirits.

Back in October last year, Rodgers’ former Packers teammate Keisean Nixon said he’ll always appreciate Rodgers for keeping his spirits high. Even when Nixon was going through a slump, Rodgers kept encouraging him to move forward. In fact, the QB had once told his Packers teammates that he would cut his gift budget one holiday season if they didn’t improve from their slump. And his behavior has continued with the Steelers.

Aaron Rodgers topped his previous presents by gifting a Can-Am Maverick side-by-side vehicle to each of his Steelers linemen this season. Those off-road Can-Am Maverick vehicles can cost anywhere from $20,000 to $40,000 each. As such, Mosite Motorsports even posted clips on social media to highlight Rodgers’ generosity.

The clips first showed the reaction of the Steelers’ offensive linemen to the gifts. And Rodgers did not just stop there, as he also rode the vehicles alongside his linemen outside the Steelers’ practice facility.

This generosity is part of the leadership style Rodgers has brought to Pittsburgh, as he invests in building a strong locker room culture for a team with playoff aspirations. While gift-giving may have become more of a current trend, it is safe to say that Rodgers never really cared about trends, but created them.