“I Do Think That’s Fool’s Gold”: Chris Long Downplays Aaron Rodgers’ Performance in Final Six Games as a Jet

After the New York Jets managed to trade for Aaron Rodgers in the Spring of 2023, the AFC franchise was listed as one of the premier betting favorites to win the Super Bowl. Two years later, Rodgers leaves the team with an overall record of 6-12, while the Jets never once made the playoffs.

Trips to Egypt and darkness retreats will likely prove to be the defining features of his two-year stint with the Jets. However, he did manage to seemingly recapture some of his old magic throughout his last six weeks in New York.

Averaging 242.5 passing yards from Week 12 onward, Rodgers compiled 11 touchdowns and four interceptions while winning two of those games. His recent form has proven to be enough to convince some that the Pittsburgh Steelers are getting a legitimate option at signal-caller this year. However, according to Chris Long, the optimism surrounding Rodgers and the Steelers is foolish in nature.

“I think it’ll be fun for the viewer, a lot more fun than watching the next installment of a Mason Rudolph type. There were moments last year where I thought Rodgers’ arm looked really live, but there were a lot more moments where I wasn’t sure how mobile he was… The stats of the last five-six games of the season, that might give people some hope, but I do think that’s fool’s gold.”

According to the two-time Super Bowl champion, the concerns surrounding Rodgers’ capabilities at 41 years of age are very much real. Even though he’ll be two years removed from his Achilles injury, the former Green Bay Packer is also far removed from his glory days.

At this point in time, Long isn’t so sure that he’ll be the immediate upgrade that some are expecting him to be.

“If you were to tell me, ‘Hey, I think this is an upgrade over Russell Wilson,’ I wouldn’t say I know that for sure. But, if it is, how big of an upgrade?”

The former Philadelphia Eagle even decided to go ahead and take the extra step of popping Pittsburgh’s bubble by predicting that they are anything but legitimate contenders. “I don’t think this is a Super Bowl roster, and I don’t think that’s a hot take to say.”

Oddsmakers seem to agree with Long’s assessment, as the line for the Steelers’ 2025 regular season win total prop currently rests at 8.5 games. Even though Mike Tomlin has made a career out of producing winning seasons, the sentiment of the market suggests that his Steelers are finally due for a collapse.

After failing to fuel the Jets’ playoff aspirations, will Rodgers now melt the foundational beams of the Steelers’ traditions? Then again, if there was ever a player who could prove to be capable of usurping the odds, it’s the quarterback who holds the all-time record for the most game-winning Hail Mary attempts in NFL history.