Aaron Rodgers still has it.
The 40-year-old turned around the New England Patriots defense on Thursday night, leading the New York Jets to a 24-3 victory. Rogers completed 27 of 35 passes for 281 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Rodgers' statistics don't tell the whole story, though.
New England struggled to get to Rodgers all night, frequently putting pressure on him, only to see the 20-year NFL veteran use his legs to crawl out of danger and hit an open man on the run. . The pass is clear. Spreading wealth looks easy. It feels like we're watching the old Rodgers.
There's still a lot of games left to play, but if Rodgers can replicate Thursday's performance every two weeks – at least – he's going to have one hell of a season.
If that's the case, this should be his last.
Like it or not, Rodgers really has nothing left to prove. He won MVP four times. He wears a Super Bowl ring on his finger. He cemented himself as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.
Rogers' 2023 campaign shortened significantly When he tore his left Achilles tendon after taking just four snaps in New York's season opener against the Buffalo Bills. Today, at the age of 40, he is still in high spirits.
Watching Rodgers, coming off a season-ending Achilles injury, have a strong season and potentially lead the Jets to the playoffs or, better yet, win a championship and ride off into the sunset was a perfect ending. .
New York isn't and shouldn't be a favorite all the way by any means, but we should see Rodgers in at least one playoff game.
Assume Rodgers has had a long season and chooses to continue playing. How could you possibly get up from there? you do not know. If we're lucky, Rodgers won't show that much of a regression in 2025 and just kind of fall by the wayside, eventually hanging up his boots in a year or two.
But Father Time is undefeated. There are signs that Rodgers, 41, would be a very good opponent for him. Injuries could end Rodgers' career entirely, or we could see a shell of a guy who once threw 48 touchdowns against just five draft picks in one season.
I don't know about you, but that's not how I want to remember one of the most talented signal-callers of this generation.
Granted, all of this is easy for me to say, sitting in front of my laptop and typing away until I'm 85. This is true for many professions. Not so with football. So, I think it's hard to give it up when you're still successful.
However, if an opportunity arises to get ahead, you might as well take it.