Aaron Rodgers moved from Green Bay to New York and joined the Jets after spending 18 years in Wisconsin. The Jets got the world-class quarterback they were looking for and are now hoping for a better season than last year when they were 7-10 and finished last in AFC East.
However, as the Jets were getting ready for the new NFL season with the four-time NFL MVP, an anonymous NFL scout came out with a damning assessment of the 39-year-old’s game, saying he is no longer the player he once was.
Rodgers Is Not a Top 5 QB, Says Scout
An ESPN report that ranked NFL quarterbacks featured an interview from an AFC. ESPN ranked Rodgers fourth, but the scout had him much lower. Moreover, his comments about Rodgers unsettled quite a few Jets fans.
The scout from the unnamed AFC club said that everyone was afraid to say that Rodgers had “declined a little.” He went on to say that despite being “a great thrower” and having an excellent vision of the game, Rodgers was not a Top 5 quarterback. Instead, the scout said he was “more like 8 to 12” for him.
Rodgers Will Thrive in New York, According to an AFC Executive
Rodgers was drafted as the 24th pick in the 2005 NFL Draft. He led the Green Bay Packers to the Super Bowl in 2011but that was the only ring he has won and that championship triumph came 12 years ago.
Joining the New York Jets means Rodgers will play in the AFC for the first time in his career. The veteran quarterback spent 18 years competing in NFC North but is now faced with the likes of the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills and the New England Patriots. He is also playing for the team that finished last in the division last season. So, he will have to bring his A-game to New York.
However, an AFC executive is pretty sure that Rodgers will make an impact for the Jets even though he might need some time to adapt to the way his new team plays. The unnamed executive said that if you watched Rodgers’ tape, you would see that he made “some beautiful throws.”
He added that Rodgers needed to have a “comfort level with receivers,” saying most people undervalued the impact of chemistry between players. The executive said it was always going to be tricky for the Jets and Rodgers as they were not preparing an “instant-make orange juice.”
According to the AFC executive, it was evident that the timing and chemistry were off and that Rodgers might not be as mobile as he used to be. However, considering he would have “upgrades with the Jets’ offense,” the quarterback should quickly come into his own.
The New York Jets started their training camp on July 19 and will play four pre-season matches before the season kicks off. They open the season against the Buffalo Bills.
