Aaron Rodgers nonetheless has it.
The 40-year-old turned again the clock on Thursday evening, carving up the New England Patriots’ defense to lead the New York Jets to a 24-3 victory. Rodgers accomplished 27 of 35 passes for 281 yards and two touchdowns.
Rodgers’ stat line didn’t inform the entire story, although.
New England had hassle attending to Rodgers all evening, pressuring him usually, solely to see the 20-year NFL veteran use his legs to scramble out of hazard and hit an open man on the run. Passes have been crisp. Spreading the wealth seemed simple. It felt like we have been watching the Rodgers of outdated.
There’s a variety of soccer left to be performed, but when Rodgers can replicate Thursday’s efficiency on a biweekly foundation—no less than—he’s going to place collectively one hell of a season.
And it needs to be his final if that’s the case.
Prefer it or not, Rodgers actually has nothing left to show. He’s a four-time MVP. He’s obtained a Tremendous Bowl ring on his finger. He’s cemented himself as one of many biggest quarterbacks of all time.
Rodgers had his 2023 marketing campaign reduce remarkably brief when he tore his left Achilles after taking just four snaps in New York’s season opener in opposition to the Buffalo Payments. Now right here he’s, on the age of 40, trying spry as ever.
Watching Rodgers put collectively a powerful season and doubtlessly lead the Jets to a playoff berth—or higher but, a championship—on the heels of a season-ending Achilles harm earlier than using off into the sundown is the right ending.
New York isn’t, and shouldn’t be, the favourite to go all the way in which by any means, however we should always get to see Rodgers for no less than one playoff recreation.
Suppose Rodgers has himself a season for the ages, then opts to maintain enjoying. How do you presumably go up from there? You don’t. If we’re fortunate in that situation, Rodgers doesn’t present all that a lot regression in 2025 and simply type of falls to the wayside, finally hanging up the cleats in a yr or two.
However Father Time is undefeated. And one thing tells us {that a} 41-year-old Rodgers can be a reasonably favorable matchup for him. Damage may finish Rodgers’ profession as soon as and for all, or we may see a shell of a person who as soon as threw for 48 touchdowns in opposition to simply 5 picks in a single season.
I don’t find out about you, however that’s not how I need to bear in mind one of the crucial gifted signal-callers of this era.
Granted, all of that is fairly simple for me to say, sitting in entrance of my laptop computer, typing, one thing I may do till I’m 85. Writing has an extended shelf life. A variety of careers do. Soccer doesn’t. So, I reckon it’s fairly onerous to step away from it while you’re nonetheless succeeding.
Nevertheless, if the possibility to exit on high presents itself, you may as effectively take it.