Aaron Rodgers is one of the greatest quarterbacks who has ever lived. But every great quarterback has an expiration date, and it's safe to ask if Rodgers is reaching his following the Jets' surprising loss to the Patriots that dropped them to 2-6 on the year.
It was another rough outing for the Jets and Rodgers, whose two touchdown passes were offset by his very average 60.7 completion percentage. The 40-year-old quarterback's lack of mobility was noticeable, too. Rodgers struggled to extend plays and was largely stationary throughout New York's 25-22 loss. His struggles weren't lost on at least one Patriots defender, who offered a blunt assessment of the future Hall of Famer after the game.
"Hall of Fame quarterback. Hate to see him go out that way," said Patriots defensive lineman Davon Godchaux. "He definitely don't look the same. He kept moving back there ... shit I could run him down and catch him. He don't look mobile at all. That's good for us."
Godchaux's quote is telling for several reasons. For one, it's surprising that he would speak so openly about Rodgers' struggles, given the Patriots' own 2-6 record along with the fact that the Patriots still have another game against Rodgers and the Jets.
His quotes are also surprising because no other defender has publicly discussed Rodgers' struggles to this point. Steelers cornerback Beanie Bishop Jr. (who picked off Rodgers twice in Pittsburgh's Week 7 blowout win over New York) said that Rodgers was somewhat predictable in where he was throwing the ball, but that was nothing compared to what Godchaux said on Sunday.
Yes, Rodgers is struggling, but there are some tangible reasons to justify those struggles. He's playing behind a bad offensive line and for an interim head coach and an interim offensive coordinator. He's also playing through three separate injuries that are clearly hindering his play.
Rodgers is in a bad spot, but the facts remain that he is simply not playing up to his usual level, and at his age, questions about his football mortality are bound to come up. Rodgers can either quiet such questions with improved play in the coming weeks, or they will only grow louder if he and the Jets continue to follow their current course.