Imagine this: It’s January 2023. Aaron Rodgers sails a pass short for Christian Watson as Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph picks off his final throw as an NFL QB. The Packers are eliminated from playoff contention, and Rodgers walks off Lambeau Field with Randall Cobb, arm in arm.
Instead, Rodgers chose a familiar path and exited Green Bay to prolong his career.
Fast-forward to April 2023. Rodgers is traded to the New York Jets for first, second, and sixth-round picks in the 2023 NFL Draft and a conditional second-round pick in 2024. This marked the end of an era in Green Bay.
Mister Rodgers’ move to his new neighborhood in New York made MetLife Stadium look like Lambeau Field East. Eight former Packers followed Rodgers for the 2023 season: Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb, Malik Taylor, Tim Boyle, Adrian Amos, Jake Hanson, Dennis Kelly, and Billy Turner.
Without question, the Jets made a deep run in the playoffs, and the Packers were blasted into mediocrity, right?! Well, the reality is, Rodgers would injure his Achilles on the fourth snap of his first game, ending his season. The Packers? They reached the divisional round of the playoffs in Jordan Love’s first year as starting quarterback.
After such a taxing injury, surely Rodgers would end his career happily with a resume featuring a Super Bowl win, a Super Bowl MVP, four regular-season MVPs, and an NFL career passer rating record of 102.7.
But no. Here we are in 2024, and the 41-year-old Rodgers is still trying to prove something.
Same Ol’Jets
When you think of the NY Jets, all you can picture is the “butt fumble.” How sad is that? When you think of the New England Patriots, you picture Tom Brady winning Super Bowl after Super Bowl and frustrating football fans. It’s bad enough to associate a team with the word “butt,” but even worse that it came from their last successful QB, Mark Sanchez! That’s like a billion years ago!
The Jets have the longest active playoff drought in the NFL at 13 seasons, soon to be 14. They find themselves at 3-9 and a complete laughing stock to the league yet again. They will likely lose Aaron Rodgers as rumors circulate that he wants to play in 2025, but not for the Jets.
The Gang Green thought they could finally resurrect their franchise. Alas, this team has gone nowhere. They traded away a conditional pick to the Las Vegas Raiders for Davante Adams, all to please Aaron Rodgers. They fired their head coach, Robert Saleh, and General Manager Joe Douglas.
Where do they stand in the NFL? Through Week 14, the Jets rank 31st in the league regarding offensive production, averaging 291 yards per game.
It’s time for the Jets to continue what they do best: Lose and hope they can get Jalen Milroe. As for Mr. Rodgers? He’s probably — maybe- I don’t know- *insert cryptic message on the Pat McAfee show*— going to try and prove one thing…
Does Aaron Rodgers Have One More Shot to One Up Brett Favre?
When Brett Favre retired (the first time) in March 2008, he was coming off of a ridiculous 13-3 season and an NFC Championship run. Favre was 39 and still capable of throwing dimes. After a couple of months, the itch to play was back (it never was gone), and he landed with the New York Jets in a trade that took place in August 2008.
Favre would have a Jameis Winston-esque type season, throwing 22 TDs and 22 INTs. Favre’s top targets in New York were Laveranues Coles, nearing the end of his career, and Jerricho Cotchery. Moving forward to signing with the Minnesota Vikings in 2009, Favre proved that he still had it with targets like Sidney Rice, Bernard Berrian, and Percy Harvin. Throwing for 4,202 yards, 33 TDs, and the least amount of INTs he’s ever thrown as a starter— seven. This all came at the age of 40! The Vikings would lose in OT in the NFC championship game to the Saints, and Favre would finally retire for REAL… after one more season.
The difference is that Aaron Rodgers’ career started declining in 2022. He threw 12 interceptions, the most since his first year as the starter. He often threw tantrums at his receivers when his passes missed the mark, like the pick to Kerby Joseph. Perhaps his wide receiver room wasn’t elite, but Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson, who remain on the Packers, are now Jordan Love’s go-to targets.
The same goes for his receiving room in New York. Rodgers has pretty much every weapon he could’ve rationally asked for. He got his younger guy Allen Lazard, he had Mike Williams, and the Jets moved mountains to get Davante Adams. Oh! Let’s not forget that he has Garrett Wilson, too! Before anyone claims he lacks a defense, the Jets boast one of the best defenses in the league, surrendering 301 yards per game. So, with placing 24th in time of possession, it’s fair game to blame the four-time MVP QB.
A-Rod’s stubbornness knows no bounds. So where will he go next? Imagine if the Bears pulled the ultimate twist: traded Caleb Williams for Rodgers, made a playoff run, and lost the NFC Championship on a Rodgers interception. Jokes aside, it’s likely Rodgers will be in a different uniform next year, and it’s possible he will have a final turnaround season.
But there’s no way he’ll have the same success on a third team as Favre.
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