The Confusing Legacy Of Aaron Rodgers

Aaron Rodgers is one of the best quarterbacks to ever live. That is not a question. That is why when he announced he and the Green Bay Packers were parting ways after 18 years and he will be continuing his career in New York City with the Jets, he provided a city with hope.

In March of 2023, Rodgers was a season removed from back-to-back MVP seasons in 2021 and 2022. However, during the 2022 season Rodgers struggled to replicate that same form, and the Packers missed the playoffs. Despite his down year, Rodgers' arrival in New York sparked a buzz among Jets fans, who hadn’t seen their team in the postseason since 2010.

But all that optimism was dashed after just four snaps, as Rodgers suffered a season-ending Achilles tear. Now, a year later, the excitement has faded, with the Jets’ season in disarray and no one else to blame.

Since the Green Bay Packers traded Rodgers to New York, the Jets have made it their number-one priority—from ownership down—to make their quarterback feel comfortable. First, they hired his "good buddy" Nathaniel Hackett as their offensive coordinator. The next step was signing his former Packers teammates Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb in 2023. Then, just two weeks ago, in a last-ditch effort to bring out the legendary player we once knew, the Jets traded for former All-Pro wideout Davante Adams, another of Rodgers' connections from Green Bay.

Despite turning the franchise over to him, it just hasn’t worked. The team has lost five straight games, their coach was fired after five weeks, and Rodgers currently has a QBR of only 50.4 which sits 22nd in the NFL.

At 2-6, their season seems all but done, which means we need to start asking the question if are we about to witness the final nine games of this future hall of famers career, and if this is the end, what legacy does he leave behind?

A lot of the story surrounding Rodgers' last few years in Green Bay was that the team "failing" to provide him with the last few pieces he needed to win another Super Bowl. We may never know if this is true, but this Jets tenure is not helping his case.

Before his move to New York, Rodgers had only one Super Bowl ring, but his peak was undeniably among the best in NFL history. However, with this final act of his career teetering on the edge of failure, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to place Rodgers in the same tier as legends like Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, Peyton Manning, and Joe Montana. Brady and Manning each won Super Bowls with their second teams, while Montana led the Chiefs to an AFC Championship Game. Rodgers, on the other hand, hasn’t been able to recreate that postseason magic since his lone championship in 2011, and now his time to do so may be running out.

As he approaches what could be the end of his career, Rodgers may be remembered not only for his accomplishments but also for this Jets disappointment—a chapter that could solidify him as the NFL's biggest one-time champion disappointment.