Rodgers called 'arrogant' by Bears' Houston

Is Aaron Rodgers arrogant? For the second time in a week, the Green Bay Packers quarterback has had that unflattering label applied to him.

Chicago Bears defensive end Lamarr Houston, who voiced disdain for Rodgers ("I really don't like that guy") last Thanksgiving after registering a sack during the Bears’ 17-13 upset victory at Green Bay, was at it again Monday.

“He’s a little arrogant for me. He’s a little too arrogant,” Houston said while appearing on ESPN’s “SportsNation” show.

“He’s a Cheesehead. I’m a Bear, he’s a Cheesehead. But I have a lot of respect for his game, I will say that. He’s a great quarterback. As a player, I have a lot of respect for him ... but the whole championship belt thing kind of gets on my nerves.”

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Houston also acknowledged that he and Rodgers have exchanged unpleasantries on the field.

Of course, Houston is the same guy who tore his right ACL in 2014 while celebrating a sack of backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in the fourth quarter of a Bears' blowout loss at New England.

Last week, former San Francisco 49ers coach Mike Nolan said a big reason the 49ers chose Alex Smith over Rodgers in the first round of the 2005 draft was because of Rodgers’ perceived arrogance.

“Alex at the time was a good kid — a very good person, a safe choice, always trying to please,” Nolan said April 26 on NFL HQ. “On the other hand, Aaron was very cocky, very confident, arrogant. So you can say, ‘Why didn’t you take him to begin with?’ Because that’s really what your best quarterbacks look like. They aren’t very pleasing. They aren’t very safe.”

Rodgers got a measure of revenge against the 49ers, going 2-1 in head-to-head matchups against Smith when both were starters and Smith was still in San Francisco. Rodgers' Packers also beat Smith's Kansas City Chiefs last season.

Rodgers' next shot against Houston and the Bears will come Oct. 20 in another Thursday night game at Lambeau Field.