Ahead of Sunday's NFC Championship Game against the 49ers, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers isn't looking to provide bulletin-board material.
Comedic material is another matter entirely.
In a jovial interview with ESPN Radio's "The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz" on Tuesday, Rodgers didn't take the bait when Le Batard jokingly asked for some headline-worthy sound. When Le Batard asked Rodgers in faux anger if he was ducking star 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman, Rodgers proved he gets the show.
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"No, I'm definitely gonna shake his hand pre-game," Rodgers laughed. "Show him the respect, mutual respect. It's gonna be all love and respect."
Three months and a coaching staff ago, Sherman ripped Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield for not shaking his hand during the pre-game coin toss before San Francisco's 31-3 shellacking of Cleveland. The Browns' schadenfreude was just beginning in yet another underwhelming season, but the supposed snub would not be part of it, as Sherman's accusation proved to be a fabrication.
Rodgers joked he will seek out Sherman before the game, but what about during? Le Batard facetiously pressed Rodgers again if he would target the second-team All-Pro corner, fresh off a dominant playoff outing and one hell of a post-game podium press conference.
"Oh, I don't know," Rodgers quipped. "It depends on who's open."
San Francisco 49ers
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The 49ers had better luck pinning down Rodgers in their dominant Week 12 win over the Packers than Le Batard did Tuesday. Rodgers was sacked five times, managing just 104 passing yards on 33 attempts.
San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan won't let his defense rest on its laurels, though, knowing a repeat of one of the worst performances of the probable Pro Football Hall of Famer's career isn't especially likely.
Programming note: NBC Sports Bay Area feeds your hunger for 49ers playoff coverage with special editions of “49ers Central” all week (6 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday; 8 p.m. Wednesday and Friday)
Also tune in at 2:30 p.m. Sunday for “49ers Pregame Live,” with Laura Britt, Jeff Garcia, Donte Whitner, Ian Williams and Grant Liffmann previewing the NFC Championship Game against the Packers. That same crew will have all the postgame reaction on “49ers Postgame Live,” starting at approximately 5:30 p.m.