Julius Peppers: Not sacking Aaron Rodgers changed my career

Julius Peppers believes that the outcome of one play last season led to him changing teams over the offseason.

Peppers’ Chicago Bears were 8-7 entering a Week 17 contest against the 7-7-1 Green Bay Packers last season. The winner of that game would be the winner of the NFC North and represent the division in the NFL playoffs.

The Bears were up 28-27 with under a minute left and had the Packers in a 4th-and-8 situation from the 48. You know the rest — Rodgers avoids the rush, scrambles to his left and throws one deep downfield to Randall Cobb for a game-winning touchdown. Packers win the game, go to the playoffs, and Bears make offseason changes including releasing Peppers.

Now Peppers is a teammate of Rodgers and joked that the play changed his future.

“I was pretty close. I was pretty close (to getting the sack),” Peppers said Thursday via the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “We joked about it. He actually cost me my job. He got me released. I guess it turned out pretty good.

“If I would’ve made the play, I probably wouldn’t be here now. It’s kind of like one of those things, at the time it was the worst thing that could’ve happened. But now it’s like the best thing that could’ve happened.”

Saying that not making the play is the best thing that could have happened implies Peppers is extremely happy with the Packers even though they’re 1-2 and trailing the Bears in the division. Though, if Green Bay wins this weekend, they’ll be in good shape in the NFC North. Things generally do work out as they’re supposed to.

Helmet smack to Pro Football Talk