After he retires, Aaron Rodgers won’t have to wait long before he is inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He’ll almost certainly get in the first year he is eligibile. Despite that, he’s still not ready to walk away from the game. After signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers in early June many people were skeptical about his decision to keep playing. However, in Week 1, he showed how effective he can still be. NFL wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown believes Rodgers is still among the league’s best quarterbacks.
“I’ve been saying that,” St. Brown said Wednesday on his podcast. of his former Packers teammate. “Aaron Rodgers was known for getting out of the pocket, scrambling. They say he’s gotten slower. Yeah, but realistically, he doesn’t need to run that much.
“He’s gonna do way more damage with his arm and his brain than his legs. I don’t know why people are counting him out so early. He’s 41. You could throw the ball until you’re 50. I think Tom Brady played until he was 47, and he won a Super Bowl.”
St. Brown was with Rodgers from 2018-2021. During that time, the latter won two NFL MVP awards, so St. Brown got to see Rodgers play some of his best football. While Rodgers isn’t that same player, St. Brown isn’t doubting him.
Rodgers is indeed less mobile than he was in his youth, but like St. Brown says, he shouldn’t have to move as much as he once did. Rodgers’ arm is still very strong, and he’s got more knowledge about the game than most people. With 20 years of NFL experience, there isn’t much that Rodgers hasn’t seen.
However, Father Time is undefeated. Even Brady had to retire eventually. When he walked away, his arm strength hadn’t fallen off too much. The issue became how his body responded to the physical nature of the NFL. Brady became more gun-shy about getting hit. His body couldn’t withstand the punishment an entire season put on his body.
That might be what eventually forces Rodgers to walk away, too. He has arguably the best arm talent in NFL history. That should help him age better than most quarterbacks. However, it won’t matter if he can’t stay healthy.
Based on how the Steelers’ offensive line looked in Week 1, Rodgers might be in for a beating this year. They didn’t do a good enough job protecting him, allowing him to get sacked four times. That can’t continue.
Not many NFL quarterbacks have played well in their 40s. Rodgers is off to a good start this year after throwing for 244 yards and four touchdowns in Week 1. If the Steelers’ offensive line can better protect him, then perhaps he can have success similar to Brady.
