For years, many have considered Aaron Rodgers one of the best, if not the best quarterback in the National Football League.
If Tom Brady has been the best signal-caller of the past 10-12 years, Rodgers has been considered by many to be 1b to his 1a.
He seemed clearly worthy of being considered on the same pantheon of great Green Bay Packers QBs such as Brett Favre and Bart Starr.
But in the last handful of months, Rodgers’ standing has fallen somewhat.
It has been not only because of what has taken place on the field for the Packers, but also for some events off the field.
Rodgers’ Place In History Is Secure
Once Favre’s understudy and heir apparent, Rodgers did very well in his first season as a starter in 2008, putting up 4,038 yards and 28 touchdowns.
The Packers may have only won six games that year, but there was clearly hope for the future.
The next year, he was named to the Pro Bowl for the first time, and in 2010, he led Green Bay to a 10-5 record and its first Super Bowl championship since Favre’s heyday in the mid-1990s.
Since then, every year he has been healthy, Rodgers has been a fixture of the Pro Bowl, not to mention the winner of four league MVP awards, which is more than anyone else in league history not named Peyton Manning.
More often than not, he has posted a passer rating north of 100, and he has led pro football in that category four times.
In both of the last two seasons, despite being at an advanced age (by NFL standards), he has won his two latest MVP awards and amassed the highest passer rating in the game.
If he doesn’t make it to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, then why even have a Hall of Fame?
Aaron Rodgers' HOF resume:
– 10x Pro Bowl
– 4x All-Pro 1st Team, 2012 2nd Team
– 4x NFL MVP
– Super Bowl 45 Champ & MVP
– 4x NFL PASS RTG leader
– 2x NFL PASS TD leader
– 2020 NFL CMP% leader
– 2010s NFL All-Decade
– Lowest career INT% (1.3%) everpic.twitter.com/CLwJZSHALe— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) April 24, 2022
Rodgers Has Come Up Short In The Playoffs Too Many Times
In each of the last three seasons, the Packers have finished with at least 13 wins.
One would think that someone with the reputation of Rodgers would come through with at least one world championship in a span like that, right?
Instead, he and his team have come up short.
In 2019, Green Bay faced one of its old NFC rivals, the San Francisco 49ers, in the conference championship game, and although Rodgers went 31-of-39 for 326 yards and two touchdowns, he also threw two interceptions in a 37-20 loss.
The next year, they made it back to the NFC title game, this time versus Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, only to lose by five points.
Just a few months ago, he again went up against the Niners, but Rodgers had no touchdowns in a rough 13-10 defeat.
His playoff record has turned out to be pretty dismal after all these years.
This is where I’m getting at With his 0-4 record against the 49ers, Aaron Rodgers now has the most playoff losses vs a single opponent in NFL history. 👇🏾👇🏾 Back to back MVP, home field, and nothing! Not clutch! pic.twitter.com/3tkdUY90SR
— Ray H Sr (@Raymone__Sr) April 26, 2022
His Off-The-Field Antics Have Rubbed Many The Wrong Way
This offseason and last, Rodgers made it clear that he wanted big bucks on a new contract, and he was reportedly upset that the team drafted Jordan Love, who could be his successor.
Then there was his COVID-19 vaccine fiasco.
He claimed to the media that he was “immunized” against the novel coronavirus, but when he tested positive for it, it was revealed that he had never gotten a COVID-19 vaccine.
Rodgers then proceeded to publicly spout disproven myths and conspiracy theories about the disease.
His new contract extension, which will pay him roughly $50 million, is thought to have been the impetus behind star wide receiver Davante Adams wanting out and getting traded.
With new gunslingers such as Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert on the scene, Rodgers is clearly not the mighty figure he was just a few years ago.
NEXT: A Strong Preseason Could Force A Jordan Love Trade