The very beginning of Aaron Rodgers' time in the NFL spotlight hardly portended greatness.

The University of California quarterback, a potential No. 1 overall pick, waited in the green room for over four hours after the nearby San Francisco 49ers selected Utah's Alex Smith first overall in the 2005 draft, beginning a stunning slide that lasted until the Green Bay Packers finally chose him at No. 24. The 49ers' offensive coordinator at the time? Mike McCarthy, who was hired as Green Bay's head coach one year later.

In a sprawling story on the deterioration of McCarthy's time with the Packers by by Bleacher Report's Tyler Dunne, former Packers running back Ryan Grant suggests that Rodgers never quite forgave his longtime coach for choosing Smith over him back in 2005.

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“Aaron's always had a chip on his shoulder with Mike,” he said. “The guy who ended up becoming your coach passed on you when he had a chance. Aaron was upset that Mike passed on him—that Mike actually verbally said that Alex Smith was a better quarterback.”

McCarthy, the only coach Rodgers has ever played for in his 11-year career, was fired in early December following an embarrassing loss to the lowly Arizona Cardinals. Though he led the Packers to a title in the 2010 season and made the playoffs every years from 2009 to 2016, McCarthy’s welcome was worn out in Green Bay after his failure to evolve offensively prevented the team from reaching the postseason each of the past two years.  Though discontent between he and Rodgers was no secret, the true extent of it has only become known since McCarthy was dismissed.

The Packers hired Matt LaFleur, who spent last season as offensive coordinator of the Tennessee Titans, as head coach on January 8th.