Aaron Rodgers was functional in the New York Jets’ Monday night loss to the San Francisco 49ers, but it was far from enough for Gang Green as they failed to compete. The much-anticipated return is only for one game, but it’s logical to assume that one of the best quarterbacks in history is now playing the game differently.
Rodgers was less mobile than the version of himself who prolonged plays and led Green Bay to deep playoff campaigns year after year. Colin Cowherd, who commented on the topic on his broadcast Tuesday, did not miss the point.
“So this Aaron Rodgers is 40, off an Achilles surgery,” according to Cowherd. “He’s not mobile. He does not leave a three to four foot radius. Athletically, he resembles Kirk Cousins more than Patrick Mahomes. He has a below-average offensive coordinator. They have absolutely no tight end production. He’s prickly, and they have one excellent receiver; cross your fingers he’s never injured. But the rolling, dynamic, athletic Aaron Rodgers from Green Bay is no more.”
“The structure around him is so weak,” Cowherd concluded. “You have a defensive head coach who appeared overmatched last night. You have an offensive coordinator that is way over his head. Your offensive line appears to be okay. Once again, one exceptional wide receiver. The Jets hired Aaron to be the savior, but that is not his personality. He was not a savior in Green Bay. “What was he saving?”
Aaron Rodgers is not a savior, per @ColinCowherd. pic.twitter.com/Hm6sLdsbTN
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) September 10, 2024
It’s been incredible to see the media turn a complete 180 on what this Jets team will be just on 60 minutes. On the other hand, it may make perfect sense because it appears to be designed especially to elicit the broadest range of perspectives possible.
The popular belief that Rodgers is aloof because he cannot carry everyone on his shoulders and reach the promised land may be right. The bigger difficulty, it appears, is the actual on-field action. And the inability to create things on short notice or in the midst of chaos is a huge issue. It will be interesting to see how that type of quarterback performs against a defense that does not have the 49ers logo on its chest.
So maybe it isn’t time to panic. It could be time to reset expectations, at least for Rodgers.
