Watch Aaron Rodgers Get Called "Average" on National TV

Aaron Rodgers will end up in the Hall of Fame five years after he retires. That is set in stone. Nobody can change it. Regardless of when he retires, he'll be tagged as one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play. However, no great quarterback was great forever. Very few ever went out at their best. Many saw their elite skills slowly fizzle over time until they became a serviceable quarterback but nothing like the player they once were.

Chicago Bears fans have been hoping and praying for that day to come with Rodgers for years. According to ESPN analyst Mike Greenberg, their dreams may have come true. Most people will look at the state of things and say Rodgers is his usual self. The Green Bay Packers are 10-3. He has 23 touchdown passes to just two interceptions for a 102 passer rating this season. By all signs, he remains ever the dangerous gunslinger he's been for years.

However, Greenberg sees cracks in the foundation. Signs that Rodgers, while still lethal in certain ways, isn't operating at full capacity anymore. In fact, there is an argument to be made that he's been average this season. At least by his standards.

Aaron Rodgers has feasted on a lot of bad defenses

Is he right? Nobody is going to say Rodgers is bad but is he also not quite as good as the stats may indicate? There is something worth noting here. So far in 2019, Rodgers has enjoyed a largely cupcake schedule when it comes to defenses faced. No fewer than six of the opponents he's faced this year have a defense ranked 18th or worse in the NFL this season. He's played six games against opponents with a top 10 defense. His passer rating is a modest 88.2 in those games.

That's not terrible, but it's not customary Rodgers either. Here's a reminder. In 2016, he faced a top 10 defense seven times. His passer rating for those games was a healthy 104.64. Far, far better. Greenberg may be right. Everybody has worked hard to find excuses for Rodgers not performing like he should in the past two seasons. It was the head coach, it was the running game, it was the defense. All of those things were changed or improved and yet the occasional signs of mediocrity persist.