Aaron Rodgers will be taking a second shot at his debut with the New York Jets in the upcoming season, but Colin Cowherd isn’t exactly rolling out the red carpet. Even before Rodgers has taken a single snap, Cowherd’s already stirred the pot with a scorching hot take, demoting him to the 11th place in the quarterback race.
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During “The Colin Cowherd Podcast,” the NFL analyst didn’t hold back on his thoughts about the veteran quarterback’s current standing in the league. For starters, Cowherd questioned whether Rodgers still has what it takes to be considered elite, especially in a stacked AFC:
“Is it possible we might look at Week 12 and think Aaron’s not as good as Jordan Love? Or now Trevor Lawrence, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, or Joe Burrow?”
And if that wasn’t spicy enough, he doubled down by suggesting that Rodgers is “closer to Dak Prescott than Patrick Mahomes,” on the list of Top Quarterbacks in the league. According to Cowherd, Rodgers isn’t just slipping from the top, he could even prove to be a weak link for the Jets.
Rodgers doesn’t seem to be doing too well at practice either mistiming his moves, and often not connecting with his receivers. According to the New York Post, he made only 11 completions out of 27 attempts during Monday’s practice and had a streak of five missed passes in a row.
This has triggered concerns about Rodgers’ vitality among analysts like Cowherd. But while some analysts might be skeptical of Rodgers’ ability to perform well in the upcoming season, his fans aren’t too quick to pass judgment.
Fans slam Cowherd for “disrespectful” take
As Cowherd gave an opinionated assessment of Rodgers, fans rushed in to defend the veteran QB. Fans pointed out the many achievements of the QB, and accused Cowherd of being a “hater.”
While some seemed to agree with the analyst’s take, some suggested that even if Rodgers was the 6th best QB in the AFC, the Jets can “cruise to the playoffs“.
Colin Cowherd doesn’t think Rodgers makes the cut for a top six amongst AFC East QBs#fanreactions pic.twitter.com/TZss7hKotT
— AnushreeGuptaOfficial (@Anushree_Gupta_) August 20, 2024
While he has been working hard on his recovery, the reports from practice sessions are indeed concerning. However, the Jets and his fans remain hopeful of a fruitful and explosive comeback. The team will need to address the issues and work on improving Rodgers’ connection with his receivers to ensure a successful 2024 campaign.
