Scout on Rodgers: ‘He’s Come Back to Earth’

A scout provides his thoughts on where Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers stands as he potentially enters his 19th NFL season.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – If Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers returns to the NFL for the 2023 season, it will be because he thinks he can play at an elite level and, in turn, help his team to elite status.

“I think I can win MVP again in the right situation,” Rodgers said on The Pat McAfee Show recently.

Doing that is going to require Rodgers doing what he’s been reluctant to do: change his style to fit his changing skill-set.

“He hasn’t changed. He’s the same guy in terms of his play style. But his play has fallen off,” a team’s top scout, who watched Rodgers live or on tape in several games in 2022, said this week.

Father Time eventually sacks every quarterback. For years, Rodgers has recalled what former coach Mike McCarthy told him that “once the legs go, the rest goes.” The scout sees signs that that the legs are going.

“The biggest piece is he just can’t move as well as he used to,” he said. “That used to be – on top of being great at extending plays and having rare accuracy – he can’t do that anymore. And his arm has taken a dip. It’s not poor but it’s not what it used to be. So, he’s come down to earth a little bit. He’s human. …

“It kind of sucks to see him fall off. It sucks to see the superstars get old but he’s not the same guy.”

The scout spoke in relative terms. Rodgers is not a statue in the pocket. He can still sling it better than most quarterbacks. If he’s willing to accept that his physical attributes have slipped, he can return to championship-caliber form.

That would require playing fast and taking what’s there. He’s done it in stretches.

“Because of his play style, it doesn’t lend to the same level of efficiency that (Tom) Brady had once he really couldn’t move anymore,” the scout said. “Aaron is built on holding the ball and making stuff happen off-schedule. When you can’t move as well, you lose that component.

“That was a big lever for him that he can’t pull anymore – as much as he used to. I’d say he’s slightly above-average as a quarterback [mobility-wise] relative to what other quarterbacks do, but he’s still not ‘young Aaron’ where he was a weapon. And, like I said, the arm is probably the next piece. It’s a little bit less strength, a little bit less accuracy. He’s getting old.”

Where Rodgers is at physically will be a critical component of conversations at 1265 Lombardi Ave., where general manager Brian Gutekunst and the rest of the front office must determine whether a declining Rodgers is a better option than promising but unproven Jordan Love.

Those same debates are being held by other teams, such as the New York Jets, who have a strong overall roster but a gaping hole at the most important position in sports.

“Where the biggest question mark comes in is how he should play and how he wants to play. They don’t marry,” the scout said. “He should play in a system that gets the ball out quick – honestly, what (Packers coach Matt) LaFleur wanted to do, but Aaron likes to do something different. If he goes to a different place and just wants to drop back and throw the ball all the time, it’s going to be rough.”

Added together, Rodgers – especially a Rodgers with a healthy thumb – remains a high-quality quarterback capable of being the missing piece on a solid roster. If this year’s drama ends in a trade, he thought the Packers would do well to get a second-round pick in this year’s draft and an additional pick or picks that would improve should Rodgers return to the team for a second season.

“There’s too many question marks with that dude,” the scout said. “He may just play one year and be like, ‘I’m good. I don’t want to play anymore.’ I would probably want conditions on some of the picks and push a few out into the future.”

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