Aaron Rodgers launching a Hail Mary pass Quarterback Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers launching a Hail Mary pass at the end of regulation in the NFC divisional playoff game at University of Phoenix Stadium on January 16, 2016, in Glendale, Arizona. The Arizona Cardinals beat the Green Bay Packers 26–20 in overtime. Rodgers, with five seconds to go in regulation, scrambled around and heaved the ball 41 yards to the end zone, where wide receiver Jeff Janis caught it. (more) How Did the “Hail Mary Pass” Get Its Name? Written by René Ostberg René Ostberg is an associate editor at Encyclopaedia Britannica. René Ostberg Fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors Last updated Apr. 17, 2026 •History Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers launching a Hail Mary pass with five seconds to go in a 2016 playoff game against the Arizona Cardinals. Packers wide receiver Jeff Janis catching Rodgers’s Hail Mary pass, tying the game. Alas, the Cardinals defeated the Packers in overtime. It was a cold winter’s day in Minnesota: December 28, 1975. The event was an NFL playoff game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Dallas Cowboys. The...

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