Some say Aaron Rodgers is overrated. Others say he receives too much praise. Some even place the entirety of the blame on him when his team loses. I disagree with these sentiments wholeheartedly. The Green Bay Packers’ Aaron Rodgers is one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play in the National Football League and will undoubtedly go down in history as one of the greatest of all time.
In Rodgers’ draft year, there were twenty-three NFL teams who passed on him before Green Bay selected him. It was shocking to many that he would fall to the 24th selection in the 2005 NFL draft given his success playing college football at the University of Berkeley, California.
Ever since his rookie season, Aaron Rodgers has been proving to everyone that he is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. He has consistently led the Packers to playoff berths and even a Super Bowl title (XLV). He is currently aged at 33 years old, but he has not lost a step and continues to demonstrate his skill and knowledge of the game of football in astounding fashion.
So what makes Aaron Rodgers so great? There are several factors of his play that come into account. First of all, he can throw the football with precision accuracy and great strength. Throughout his entire career thus far, he has delivered impressive throws to his wide receivers and has won at least a few games with his throws being the deciding factor.
Another defining feature of Rodgers is his ability to extend plays by scrambling to buy more time for his receivers to get open. Like any other great quarterback, he receives assistance from his offensive line. However, he is quite a mobile quarterback and can use his legs to make plays and pick up yards when necessary.
Perhaps the most obvious reason for Aaron Rodgers' greatness is the fact that he carries the Green Bay Packers to victory nearly every time. This is not to say that the Packers do not have skilled players other than Rodgers because they certainly do. However, he is the epicenter of the team and they would be next to nothing without him. A perfect example of this is last Sunday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys. Dallas had just scored a touchdown with just over a minute remaining in the game and the Packers were down 31-28. Aaron Rodgers and his team marched down the field to the red zone in about a minute of game time. Rodgers threw a pass to wide receiver Davante Adams in the left side of the end zone, but it was batted down by Dallas cornerback Jourdan Lewis.
On the next play, Rodgers understood what he needed to do and delivered a perfectly placed ball to Adams in the end zone out of Lewis’ reach for the game-winning touchdown. It is not simply this one game where Rodgers has displayed his exceptional abilities; he comes in clutch when the game is on the line nearly every single time.
Rodgers has pulled these heroics throughout his entire career with his strong play and remarkable football prowess. That is what constitutes greatness for an NFL quarterback. While there may be a few better QBs in the modern era and in the years to come, Aaron Rodgers will be heralded as an all-time great when he retires, because that is exactly what he is: great.
