Once upon a time, there were legitimate discussions that Aaron Rodgers was the best quarterback ever to play football. This peaked between the 2014 and 2020 seasons when he won MVPs and dragged somewhat okay-not-great rosters to NFC championship games. However, his star began fading right around the time he lost to the San Francisco 49ers at home 13-10 in the 2021 playoffs. That was the first inclination that something was wrong. After failing to make the playoffs in 2022, the Green Bay Packers decided to trade the future Hall of Famer.
Nobody was overly concerned. Maybe a fresh start was what Rodgers needed. He was eventually dealt to the New York Jets and promptly tore his Achilles in the first game of the season. Rodgers did return in 2024 but went 5-12 while posting the worst quarterback rating (90.5) of his career. There were no more illusions after hiring a new GM and head coach, and New York reached its conclusion on quarterback swiftly. They would be moving on. An all-time great will endure the experience of being cut.
Not just because of money. It is that he's not good enough anymore.
Aaron Rodgers dug this grave himself.
He had a chance to seize full control of his fate. His contract was such that he would've been a free agent after the 2022 season. He could've gone anywhere he wanted like Tom Brady did in 2020 when he chose the loaded Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Instead, he opted to sign an extension that off-season, played poorly enough that Green Bay was convinced he was in decline, and shipped him to an ill-equipped team to maximize whatever he had left. Now he's enduring the humiliation of getting cut while many speculate other teams may not believe he's worth the headache.
That is the image he has cultivated over the past several years. Aaron Rodgers has always seemed more interested in his personal image and legacy than the team. He didn't bother showing up for voluntary camps last year, opting to go do drugs in Egypt. That pretty much set the tone for his season. He never looked right, even after the organization obeyed his wishes to trade for Davante Adams. Try as he might, the parallels to Brett Favre keep getting stronger. How can that not be hilarious?
