Aaron Rodgers is the hottest new quarterback in New York, and Stephen A. Smith went absolutely ballistic while defending him on his show First Take. Hosting Chris “Mad Dog” Russo on the show, Stephen A. Smith was absolutely appalled at Russo’s low expectations for Aaron Rodgers amidst concerns over some supposed struggles in July. Smith highly believes in Rodgers, and he believes that the city of New York will hail him like a god after going through Zach Wilson, so much so that his farts would be like perfume.
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The former Packers quarterback is set to be the new franchise star for the Jets. New York assumed they would never have to come to this position after drafting Zach Wilson second overall in the 2021 NFL draft. At the time, the pick seemed great. Wilson lit it up in college, and his pro day looked really good. However, he never panned out in the league, and now, he’ll be backing up the former MVP. Jets fans would have gladly liked to have that second-overall pick back, but hindsight is always 20/20.
Stephen A. Smith Hails Aaron Rodgers as a God In New York
The New York Jets haven’t seen consistent quarterback play in quite some time now. They’ve found journeymen and veterans like Ryan Fitzpatrick and Joe Flacco to keep them somewhat competitive in the past, and they also had a brief stint with Mark Sanchez which was somewhat promising.
However, nothing was ever grounded in a solid foundation. There was no long-term plan with any of those quarterbacks, and the hope was that Zach Wilson would be the answer to a franchise that has seen better days. Unfortunately, he wasn’t.
However, the Jets now have a Super Bowl winner and a multiple-time MVP in Aaron Rodgers. Granted he’s older, and he’s not going to stay as the “face of the franchise”, but he still has several good years left in him.
Taking this into account, Stephen A. Smith went bonkers on First Take discussing the fact that Rodgers might be struggling in July, or that he doesn’t know what he’s in for in July. He likened Rodgers to a god in New York, and he even said, “This dude pass gas, they’ll think it’s perfume.”
Here’s the full clip:
“IN JULY?!”@stephenasmith can’t believe @MadDogUnleashed‘s prediction about Aaron Rodgers and the Jets 🤣 pic.twitter.com/7RQ4LmJVIr
— First Take (@FirstTake) July 5, 2023
It’s always entertaining to see Stephen A. Smith lose his mind over a take he believes in, and this case was no different. Of course, he has a point too.
Rodgers will be seen as a savior. The Jets haven’t had a quarterback this good since, well, Rodgers’ predecessor Brett Favre. They have been starved at the top position in the NFL, and Aaron Rodgers is coming to fix that.
Even in a down year last year, Rodgers put up stats that an average quarterback would dream of having. He’s not washed, and the Jets have a much better offensive situation than the Packers did, so Rodgers will bounce back.
Rodgers Is Ready To Take Off With the Jets
The situation with Aaron Rodgers and the Packers towards the end of his tenure has been very well documented. The MVP was very frustrated with the management and the decisions the team would make with players.
They lost Davante Adams, and in the past let go of players who Rodgers valued like Randall Cobb and Jordy Nelson. The quarterback wasn’t the biggest fan of that, especially coupled with the fact that the Packers never splurged their first-round picks on offensive talent to help Rodgers out.
The situation is different in New York. Rodgers was able to haul in Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb to pair with Offensive Rookie of the Year Garrett Wilson. The Jets’ offense can be very potent in 2023-23, and Rodgers will spearhead that mission.
