Future Hall-of-Fame defensive end Julius Peppers announced his retirement on February 1st. Most known for his days with the Carolina Panthers, the team with which he began his career in 2002 and ended it last season, Peppers also leaves a lasting legacy with the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers, where he got along well with quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Though just three of his 17 seasons came with the green and gold, Rodgers remembers his time playing with Peppers fondly, and regrets being unable to deliver him a championship.
“I love my time with Julius. I love him as a person, as a teammate,” the superstar signal-caller told Packers.com. “He’s still a dear friend to this day. My sadness in playing with him is not giving him a chance to win a ring because of all the players who have played in the NFL, there’s not many that deserve a ring like Julius Peppers because he’s one of the all-time greats.”
Peppers played for the Packers from 2014 to 2016, amassing 25 sacks and 113 tackles while suiting up for every game despite being near the end of his career. The 6-foot-7, 295-pounder signed back with the Panthers in 2017, finishing with 11 sacks – the fourth-highest total of his career – as a 37 year old. He retires as the NFL's fourth all-time leader in sacks with 159.5, and was also selected to nine Pro Bowls and six All-Pro teams.
Rodgers' lavish praise was reciprocated by Peppers in an article announcing his retirement for The Players' Tribune. “I’ve never seen anybody do some of the things you can do, man,” he wrote of Rodgers. “I’m glad I had a front seat for some of it.”
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