GREEN BAY – It's always hard when a team has to part ways with a good player, but it's even harder watching said player join a division rival.

Such is the case when it comes to the Packers and Za'Darius Smith. Smith was forced from Green Bay earlier in the year due to contractual/salary cap reasons and before long, he found a new home with the Minnesota Vikings, who are one of the Packers' division rivals.

Smith will now play his former team twice a year, obviously, and the 2022 schedule-makers made sure Smith and the Packers got their reunion as quickly as possible.

Meaning, both teams are set to kick off their respective seasons in Minnesota's U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday, September 11.

Let's just say Smith is absolutely stoked to play his former team.

"I can't wait to get a chance to face them the first game and see that look on Aaron Rodgers' face when he sees me on the other side of the ball," Smith said on the most recent episode of The Rich Eisen Show.

"It's going to be a party, I can tell you that much," said Smith. "It's going to be a big show. It's going to be a very big show, being able to go back there."

It's easy to see why the two-time Pro Bowler is excited to face his former team. Not only are the Packers now a division rival that will be standing in the Vikings' way of an NFC North crown, but Smith gets to do something he's never been allowed to do: hit Aaron Rodgers.

And according to Smith, it won't be in the form of revenge or anything like that: He's simply going to have fun taking down his former teammate and the NFL's back-to-back MVP.

"No revenge, it's going to be more of an excitement game," said Smith. "Like I said, I've been there for a while [and I haven't] been able to really go hard and tackle the running backs there or be able to hit Aaron Rodgers, ya know, to sack him. So, just to get that opportunity now to do that and, at the end of the day, laugh at it, because it's all gonna be a game and it's all gonna be fun. It's just going to be exciting to get them in our territory [and] play them."

At the end of the day, Smith is thankful for his time in Green Bay. But, he also realizes what must be done now that he is a Minnesota Viking.

"I wanted to be in Green Bay. There were some things upstairs that didn't go right," said Smith. "But I appreciate them for giving me an opportunity to really showcase [what I can do]."

"Everybody is good upstairs," said Smith. "I really want to thank them, for like I said, giving me the opportunity. Because when I was going to Green Bay, nobody knew who Z'Darius Smith was. But, those people upstairs -in a good way- put me in a situation to show my talent and become one of the best outside linebackers/pass rushers in this league.

"Nothing went bad. It was just situations that happened. So, like I said, I just want to thank them. But I can't wait to see them for the first game."

There's obviously no bad blood, here. It's simply Smith being your typical football player and relishing an opportunity against a former employer and teammate.

Just add this matchup to the long, long list of things to look forward to come Week 1.

You can check out the full interview with Smith, below:

New @Vikings LB @zadariussmith (and former #GoPackGo sack master) quickly became one of our favorites today and he told us it's going to feel to line up against @AaronRodgers12 twice a year and actually be able to hit him:#NFL #SKOL pic.twitter.com/MrZM6gJNk5

— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) May 18, 2022

Featured image via Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports