On paper, Aaron Rodgers’ 2024 stat line looks strong. Nearly 4,000 passing yards and 28 touchdowns are numbers a Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback hasn’t posted in years. But former NFL quarterback Shaun King is looking past the box score, arguing the numbers are skewed thanks to late-game stat-padding.
“When you dig a little deeper, a lot of that production came in garbage time,” King told the Ross Tucker podcast. “A lot of that production was non-impactful towards the outcome of his games, you start to wonder.”
Looking at the numbers ourselves, some of it is true. Winning just five games in 2024, Rodgers and the New York Jets spent plenty of time playing from behind. Per Pro Football Reference, he had more than double the passing attempts playing from behind (328) than playing with the lead (153).
However, his numbers when playing ahead were better than when the Jets were losing. He had a better QB rating when ahead (95.0) versus when losing (89.8), with a stronger touchdown-to-interception ratio. Per PFR, Rodgers threw just one of his 28 touchdowns when trailing with under four minutes to go, suggesting he wasn’t throwing meaningless touchdowns at the very end of games.
King’s stance is a half-truth at best. Still, it’s not his only concern.
“What’s his commitment in 2025 to doing all the little things attached to being a starting quarterback?” he said.
A valid question only Rodgers can answer. Would he be willing to show up to every OTA session, a contrast to last season when he missed part of it to go on vacation? If he becomes the face of a new team seeking leadership, skipping out on chances to get acclimated into the Steelers’ offense and work with new teammates would, at best, be terrible optics. At worst, valuable practice reps would be missed, forcing everyone to catch up come training camp.
“I think his athleticism has fallen off a cliff,” King said, further questioning Rodgers’ skill set.
King acknowledged Rodgers still shows flashes of his peak ability as one of the NFL’s top quarterbacks but consistently achieving that level of play is no longer in the cards. That matches with the tape we’ve watched, still seeing Rodgers make throws few quarterbacks can make but at 41, his physical tools are in decline. That includes but goes beyond his mobility. As Shannon Sharpe mused yesterday, the Steelers have to wonder what version of Rodgers they’ll get if he signs with them.
