One day, Aaron Rodgers will find himself enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame as one of the best quarterbacks of all time. That’s why, even at 41 years old, the Pittsburgh Steelers are willing to take a chance on him. Rodgers’ past few seasons haven’t been great, but there’s hope that he can recapture some of his old magic this year. However, Robert Mays of The Athletic recently shared that one NFL coach doesn’t think much of Rodgers at this point in his career.
“I have serious concerns about what Rodgers has left,” Mays said on The Athletic Football Show podcast. “I was talking to a coach over this trip that was in the quarterback market this offseason.
“And they were like, ‘We just had no interest. We don’t think he’s able to play within an offense anymore.’ What he wants to do is access throws, slot fades, one-on-ones, quick game. That marriage with Arthur Smith, I have serious doubts about how this will go.”
Despite his age, Rodgers’ abilities aren’t really in question. His arm is still incredibly powerful, and that’s been on display in Steelers training camp. While his athleticism has waned, Rodgers isn’t totally washed up yet.
However, like with most older quarterbacks, Rodgers doesn’t want to get hit as much. It happens to everyone. Even Tom Brady, who played at a high level until he was 45, was less inclined to hold on to the ball near the end of his career. That’s likely why Rodgers is looking to utilize more of a quick passing game.
That’s reflected in his stats, too. Last year, after returning from his Achilles injury, Rodgers only recorded 6.7 yards per pass attempt. Since becoming an NFL starter, that’s only the third time that Rodgers’ yards per attempt fell below seven.
Therefore, that could hold Rodgers back from using certain offenses to their fullest potential. Will that be the case in Arthur Smith’s offense? So far, that doesn’t seem to be the case. Rodgers and Smith seemingly have a great working relationship. Rodgers has also made it clear multiple times that he’s playing within the structure of Smith’s offense.
Players have also expressed that Smith is willing to alter his offense to best suit his players. Normally, his scheme is very run-heavy, featuring a lot of play-action as well. That could help take some of the pressure off Rodgers.
It’s still a little too early to say whether or not the union of Rodgers and Smith is successful. However, Rodgers has shown a willingness to work with Smith. That’s a good sign.
