Ryan Clark referenced a well-known quote from Batman to describe Aaron Rodgers’ current career phase: “You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.” According to the former safety, the free-agent QB is deep in his villain arc — marked by injuries, drama, and underwhelming performances.
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However, Clark says Rodgers still has a chance to flip the script — by winning another Super Bowl with either the Steelers or Vikings. Right now, with all the criticism surrounding the QB, it’s easy to overlook his ability to lead a team to a championship. But if Tom Brady won his final Super Bowl at 41, why can’t Rodgers do the same?
He spent the last two seasons with the struggling Jets, but if the four-time MVP heads to Pittsburgh or Minnesota, he would have a much stronger supporting cast. Both teams proved last season that they can reach the playoffs with mid-tier quarterbacks.
Now, plug in a prime version of Rodgers, and suddenly, they become legitimate Super Bowl contenders. And if he does pull it off, there would be no argument — he belongs alongside legends like Peyton Manning and Joe Montana.
“If you find a way to win a championship with the Pittsburgh Steelers, or if the Minnesota Vikings decide to let you get a year of a run there, now your name is mentioned with the Peyton Manning’s, the Joe Montana’s, you will be back in that Patrick Mahomes conversation,” said Clark.
The former safety had high praise for Rodgers as well. Clark genuinely wants him to win another one because, as a defender, he witnessed Rodgers do things on the field that he had never seen before.
“I’m going to say this and I’ve said it a million times: Aaron Rodgers individually is the best player I ever played against. There were things that he did when I played for the Steelers against us that no quarterback had ever done physically.”
After losing to Rodgers in the Big Game in 2011, Clark thought the QB would easily lead the Packers to four or five more Super Bowls — yet, he hasn’t. Still, Clark believes Rodgers has plenty left in the tank.
Well, let’s take a look and see if Clark is right. When comparing Rodgers to Manning’s all-time stats, they’re certainly comparable. Although, Manning has double the Super Bowl wins, All-Pro selections, and one more MVP.
Rodgers will finish with far fewer career interceptions than Manning, though; he has the lowest interception percentage in NFL history. He also has rushing stats that blow Manning’s out of the water.
When examining Rodgers next to Montana, the former clearly has had a better career. Other than career-winning percentage, Super Bowls, and Super Bowl MVPs, the former Packer leads in every statistical category over Montana.
He has 22,000 more career passing yards, almost twice as many passing touchdowns, and somehow fewer interceptions. Super Bowl or not, we should probably view Rodgers as the one who had a better career.
So, let’s say we agree with about half of what Clark is saying. If Rodgers wins another with either the Steelers or the Vikings, he will be compared to Manning. But he should probably already be regarded as a better player than Montana.
