Coming this July 25, Packers CEO Mark Murphy will officially step down from his role as President and CEO upon reaching the organization’s mandatory retirement age of 70. Over nearly two decades at the helm, Murphy navigated a gauntlet of milestones: a Super Bowl championship, volatile quarterback transitions, the firing and hiring of head coaches, and the selection of a new general manager. But no test of leadership matched the turbulence of replacing Brett Favre with Aaron Rodgers under center.

Favre initially announced his retirement only months after Murphy took over in Green Bay. But the saga quickly escalated when the Hall of Famer reversed course that summer and declared he wanted to play again. By then, GM Ted Thompson had already committed to Rodgers, who’d waited patiently behind Favre for three seasons. The fallout was immediate and intense: the Packers’ passionate fan base erupted in outrage, setting the stage for one of the most polarizing transitions in NFL history.

Favre’s fans lined up outside Lambeau Field to force the organization to reinstate Favre as the starting quarterback. More than 100 people gathered outside the field. Chants of “We want Brett” echoed in Green Bay and carried signs read “Favre Forever” or Favre for President.” Many donned Favre’s No. 4 jerseys in the parking lot with just one agenda: bring Brett Favre as the starting quarterback.

The frustration was gruesome. Not just among the fans, but the players who were getting distracted. “It’s time for it to be over,” the Packers’ former CB Charles Woodson said. “It’s gone on long enough.” But things never calmed down. And when Mark Murphy felt that things were getting out of hand, he, along with the team’s executive committee, brought in the former White House press secretary, Ari Fleischer, to help the organization with public relations. Literally.

The fans demanded Murphy, Thompson, and then-head coach Mike McCarthy to take Favre back. Murphy, on the other hand, never exactly questioned taking the job: “What did I get myself into?” But he did feel overwhelmed by the spotlight and chaos. He joked that it was nothing like his quieter old job as the athletic director at Colgate University in Hamilton, New York.

“It was definitely like, ‘We ain’t in Hamilton, New York, anymore,” he recalled, addressing him time as the Colgate AD. He was aware of the intense situation after Favre left Green Bay to play for the Jets. But thankfully, Aaron Rodgers stepped in at the right time. “Just the media attention [was intense], but thankfully we had Aaron to step in for him,” Murphy added.

With Favre gone, Rodgers took the helm and went on to become the Packers’ franchise quarterback.

When the boos turned into a standing ovation for Aaron Rodgers

Aaron Rodgers’ initial years in the NFL with the Packers were anything but smooth. Sure, he served as the backup to Favre in his first three years. And of course, he learned a thing or two about quarterbacking while developing behind a Hall of Famer. But when that Hall of Famer left the town, and the Packers asked Rodgers to step in? The initial response from the Packers’ faithful was brutal.

Rodgers was 24 years old in his first season as the Packers’ full-time starting quarterback. Picture a young quarterback arriving in Lambeau Field, replacing a veteran as the team’s franchise quarterback. What did one expect? Well, in the case of Rodgers, fans booed him, sent nasty letters, and spread hateful comments. But young Aaron never paid any attention to it.

Gradually and precisely, Rodgers handled the swirling circus with unusual poise, despite the constant negativity and amidst the chants of bring Favre back. The kicker? Well, by the end of the 2008 season, his first as the QB1, what began with boos ended in a standing ovation after a season-ending win over Detroit. That season wasn’t a winning season for Rodgers. But the QB was mesmerized by the way the Packers’ fans praised him and his team.

“If you would’ve told me at the beginning of the season we’d get a standing ovation leaving the field after our last game at 6-10, I would’ve said, ‘Well, I was probably being carted off,” Rodgers joked. “But I wasn’t. We had just beaten the Lions, and that was a special moment.” And just like that, Aaron Rodgers went from public enemy number one in Green Bay to one of the most beloved quarterbacks in Packers history.

Fast forward to 2021, the veteran quarterback broke Brett Favre’s franchise record for the most all-time career touchdown passes in Packers history. And now, he’s reportedly playing his last season in the NFL, ending a Hall of Fame career with the Steelers.