Despite their 13-year age gap, Joe Burrow and Aaron Rodgers have much in common. They have played in the Super Bowl, with Rodgers winning one for the Green Bay Packers. Likewise, they are both Pro Bowl quarterbacks, with Burrow getting his first selection in 2022. They have also led the league in completion percentage, with Rodgers doing it in 2020 and Burrow copying that achievement a year later.
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In addition to those similarities, both starting quarterbacks are coming off season-ending injuries. Burrow missed the Cincinnati Bengals’ last seven regular-season games last year due to an injury on his throwing wrist.
Meanwhile, Rodgers lasted only four snaps due to an Achilles tear. Now that they are raring to bounce back in 2024, Robert Griffin III mentioned who he would rather have during his recent appearance on ESPN’s ‘First Take’ “I’d rather have Joe Burrow, 100 percent.”
Griffin could have ended the discussion by pointing out that Burrow is 27 years old while Rodgers is 40. If he stays healthy, the former could be productive for another decade in the NFL. However, in addition to Burrow’s youth, Griffin lauded how Burrow bounced back from his ACL and MCL injuries during his rookie season.
Joe Burrow won the 2021 NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award after leading the Bengals to Super Bowl LVI. He also completed the regular season with an impressive 70.4 completion percentage.
Griffin closed his argument by giving the Bengals the coaching advantage. While he admitted that the Jets have more talent across their roster, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor and defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo get the most out of their players. Therefore, it’s no wonder that the Bengals were in playoff contention last season, even if Jake Browning took over from Burrow at quarterback. However, Bart Scott had a different take.
Scott Contradicts Griffin, Selects Rodgers over Joe Burrow
Scott, a former NFL linebacker, narrowed his response based on his outlook for the 2024 NFL season. Based on that perspective, he chose Rodgers over Burrow because the four-time NFL Most Valuable Player is fighting for relevance:
“You talk about one year, one season, I’m going to go with Aaron (Rodgers) because he has something to prove.”
Rodgers would like to silence those who have criticized his recent football performances and off-field decisions. Turning the Jets into legitimate playoff contenders would mute the noise surrounding his absence during the team’s three-day mandatory minicamp.
As Scott brought up, the former California Golden Bear would strive for fantastic numbers after a 2023 campaign that lasted only four snaps.
The linebacker, who once played for the Jets, also recalled Rodgers’ resurgence after a collarbone injury limited him to seven games in 2017. Over the next four years, Rodgers proved doubters wrong by establishing an NFL all-time best 0.3 interception percentage and winning two more MVP awards.
Scott also highlighted vital additions to the Jets roster, including Mike Williams, Tyron Smith, Morgan Moses, and John Simpson. Conversely, Joe Burrow lost Joe Mixon and Tyler Boyd during the offseason. It’s not that Scott shot down Burrow’s accomplishments.
However, he pressed further by identifying the ordeal Burrow must face when competing with teams within their division (AFC North). While Burrow has played in a Super Bowl, Scott established the fact that Burrow has defeated Lamar Jackson only once, and the Cleveland Browns defense stifled him during the 2023 season-opener.
