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This criticism had nothing to do with trips to Egypt or questioning Covid-19 vaccines.
It was strictly related to Rodgers the QB, and his style of play.
“His lack of aggressiveness to throw the ball downfield concerns me,” former NFL QB Chris Simms said on the GM Shuffle podcast.
Simms clearly feels that the current Jets QB is a little too conservative and takes a lot of underneath stuff.
Simms was asked if he was concerned about Caleb Williams turnover rate in college, and his response was really interesting, leading him into a take that Rodgers doesn’t take enough chances.
“[Matt] Stafford, the year he won the Super Bowl (with the Los Angeles Rams), led the NFL in interceptions,” Simms said. “You’ve got to be aggressive and make plays. The year of, I’m going to be Aaron Rodgers and throw 48 touchdowns and five interceptions – if you have are having those kind of stats, listen, more times than not, you’re not being aggressive enough and you are going to lose to the 49ers in the divisional round when you are the number one seed because you are worried about your quarterbacks ranking and all that.”
He might be talking about two different seasons. During the 2020 season, Rodgers threw 48 touchdowns and five picks, but lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Championship Game. A year later, the Packers lost in the divisional round to the 49ers. Rodgers threw 37 touchdowns to four interceptions that season.
But you’d have to think the Jets would be thrilled if Rodgers had a campaign where he threw 48 touchdowns to five picks or 37 touchdowns to four picks, no matter how conservative some might have thought he was those seasons.
Some would argue that criticizing a QB who puts up numbers like that might be nitpicking.
When was the last time the Jets had anybody with stats anywhere near that, if ever?
To me the concern about Rodgers isn’t related to being too conservative, but something else Simms said.
“Can Aaron Rodgers play the way he thinks he can play,” Simms asked. “That’s what I don’t know. Can Aaron Rodgers stand back there with danger around and throw the ball real quick and do all that stuff he did in his heyday? I don’t know if he can do that anymore. I don’t.”
That is a legitimate question.
One of the things that made Rodgers so good in Green Bay over the years was his great pocket instincts and footwork to create extra time when under pressure, leading to a lot of big plays.
Now at 40, and soon to be 41, coming off an Achilles injury, how effective will he be in this area?
Also, he was always good on bootlegs, rolling out and getting out there fast, leading to a lot of completions. How fast can he get outside now on bootlegs?
Look, he could be fine in these areas, but that is more of a legitimate concern than him not taking enough chances.
We will find out soon enough what Rodgers has left in the mobility department.
Not talking about scrambling, but more getting out of harm’s way in the pocket and on bootlegs.
July 16, 2024
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