Former New York Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum gave a candid take on quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ chances of declining next season in a recent string of comments last week.
As Thomas Christopher of Jetsxfactor.com spotlighted, Tannenbaum hearkened unto the first telltale signs of decline he saw from other former MVP QBs like Miami Dolphins legend Dan Marino and Rodgers’ former Green Bay Packers teammate Brett Favre when assessing on ESPN last week what might be the first to go for the generational talent in 2024, saying this in part:
“How quickly he gets rid of the ball and short-area quickness with his feet,” listed Tannenbaum. “I’ve been around other quarterbacks from Vinny Testaverde, Brett Favre … I worked with Dan Marino in Miami. They always talked about losing that little quickness [and how it] really was the beginning of the end and that’s something that we really have got to watch carefully really just in a couple of weeks.”
Jets: Aaron Rodgers will have to deliver on the hype surrounding his storied comeback
Despite playing in only four snaps of the 2023 campaign before going down with a torn Achilles in Week 1, Rodgers’ recovery has been heavily chronicled and accompanied by massive expectations for the 2024 season. The California native has reportedly made a full recovery, has gelled with teammates like rookie WR Malachi Corley, and is projected to lead the Jets to an AFC East title with north of 11 wins.
Will his body hold up and allow him to connect with his dynamic receiving game and offensive weapons around him? While his revamped offensive line will be responsible for preventing another cataclysmic injury, the proof of Rodgers’ dominance was not all in the pudding when last seen in 2022.
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Rodgers did not look like an MVP when last seen in full in 2022
He completed 64.6 percent of his passes — his lowest marker since 2019 — with 6.8 average passing yards per attempt — his worst peripheral since 2006. Rodgers had 2.7 seconds in time to throw in the pocket, which was only 0.6 seconds less than Philadelphia Eagles star QB Jalen Hurts and one second more than eventual Miami Dolphins breakout star QB Tua Tagovailoa.
Rodgers had protection in the pocket, though his offensive weapons were not quite what they once were in Green Bay, and still looked like a Pro Bowl gun-slinger who had an outside shot to contend for All-Pro considerations, but not like the four-time MVP that he is. Last season robbed the NFL world of the chance to see him return to that form with the Jets.
Coming off of one of the most debilitating injuries in sports at age 40 will be a great test to see how much he still has left in the tank and how snappy he can be under center. Thankfully, he has a running back in Breece Hall who is in line to contend for 1,000 yards rushing next season and will allow him to run play-action as frequently as he desires. Nonetheless, attrition will determine how sharp he will be when it matters most and if the beginning of the end is on the horizon for him or not.
