Tom Brady really messed with the collective minds of QBs. Now everyone thinks they should play deep into their 40s. But not everybody is TB12. That’s what 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers learned last year, as the supposed New York Jets messiah oversaw a severely disappointing 5-12 campaign. The Jets have since cut ties with the QB, but Rodgers seems intent on pushing forward in the NFL.
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Because of his career, fame, and polarizing nature, of course, his next destination is a big topic of discussion. Teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers, Minnesota Vikings, and Las Vegas Raiders have been linked with Rodgers already, though there has yet to be any concrete move toward his signing anywhere just yet.
And maybe there shouldn’t be. Would it really be so bad to retire after two decades in the NFL, Aaron? You’ve won everything you can win, and at this point in your career, are you really going to lead a team to a Super Bowl? It seems an unlikely scenario.
Rodgers has already conquered the NFL gridiron, so maybe it’s time for him to transition to the media sector. Dominique Foxworth believes that would be a more sensible next step for the four-time NFL MVP.
“I think Aaron Rodgers might transition to the media. It’s really hard to find a spot where Aaron Rodgers fits. Because he’s a guy who I don’t really see as a bridge QB, or someone who’s going to sit behind a younger QB and tutor him. But he is a guy who seems to really like to hear his voice, and should go to media. Maybe he’ll do a podcast,” said the former CB on Get Up.
If Rodgers did retire, his weekly appearances on the Pat McAfee Show suggest he’d be open to an on-camera role. Whether that comes in the form of a podcast, studio show, or booth commentary remains to be seen. One thing is certain, though—every network would be scrambling to land someone as polarizing as him.
There’s absolutely no chance Rodgers would go somewhere just to be a mentor. However, he might be open to playing in front of a young, potential franchise QB and showing the kid the ropes while still getting the starts. He could certainly be a bridge QB. One would think he’s aware of his age and knows he’s not a long-term solution for any team.
Some believe Aaron Rodgers will have many suitors
If Rodgers does have that self-awareness, he could definitely be an attractive option to a win-now team looking for a quick QB fix. Some have looked at his career trajectory and suggested the Vikings. Others, such as Louis Riddick, are very bullish on his prospects and believe he could succeed with a number of teams.
Riddick said that if Rodgers goes “to a place like L.A. [Rams]” we’ll “see him have one of the best seasons of his career.”
The Rams are figuring out if they want another old—but less old—QB to continue on for them in Matt Stafford. Rodgers could likely be gotten for cheaper than the 37-year-old, however.
While last year saw him hit career lows in a lot of areas, Rodgers actually finished pretty strong in the back half of the season. Across the final 10 games, Rodgers was t-9th in the NFL with 18 TD passes, his 1.2 INT rate was 5th-lowest, and his 97.0 passer rating ranked 12th, ahead of MVP Josh Allen (96.9) and OROY Jayden Daniels (96.3).
Aaron Rodgers’ 97.0 passer rating was also higher than that of Steelers QB Russell Wilson over that span. This is another team Riddick believes would benefit from a Rodgers acquisition. Pittsburgh certainly has a QB issue, so Riddick believes the two sides “need each other”.
“They need each other… He needs a guy like [Mike Tomlin] to say, ‘Hey, look man, you can’t do this by yourself. You can’t be coach, GM, offensive coordinator and quarterback all at the same time. I got that part, I’ll handle that part. You just level up our offense. I would hope he would wanna go out with a bang. He would wanna go somewhere that really does kind of put a shine or rather just put the cherry on top of what is a Hall of Fame career, and Pittsburgh’s the kind of place you would wanna do that.”
Steelers fans might feel some type of way about Rodgers’ arrival in the Steel City. But, it would be tough to argue that he doesn’t raise the team’s ceiling over Wilson or Justin Fields.
