Aaron Rodgers officially joined the Pittsburgh Steelers as quarterback this offseason and has already started to revel in Organized Team Activities (OTAs). Given Rodgers’ recent announcement to retire after this season, fans have been left questioning whether his age, experience, and history will be sufficient to pull off a career-ending high similar to the likes of Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.
Although there is no solid ground for such statements, many wonder whether Rodgers has it in him to help the Steelers to the Super Bowl in his last hurrah.
Similarities
The comparison first came to light due to Rodgers' known abilities as a skilled quarterback. Both Brady and Manning are legends on the field in their own right and attribute much of that success to their second team. With Rodgers recently making the switch from the New York Jets, many speculate whether the second time might just be the charm for him.
Distinctions
Alan Saunders, a sports journalist, strongly disagrees with the assumption by saying, “It’s gonna be hard to compare anyone to Brady. No one’s ever had the success he had at the ages he had. I mean Manning, even that last year, when he wasn’t very good, and he didn’t play the whole season, and they won the Super Bowl, he was 39. Rodgers is gonna be 42 this year. It’s really hard. I think Brady has been better at the same age as Rodgers as they’ve aged.”
Considering Rodgers's injury in his first year with the Jets followed by his dismal performance in the year after, concerns are rife about whether Rodgers is in his best shape to think of reaching the Super Bowl this year. The Steelers are currently 17th on the odds board, with +4000, in terms of their chances of winning the Super Bowl this year. This places them in the lower half of the 32-team league.
{{/usCountry}}Considering Rodgers's injury in his first year with the Jets followed by his dismal performance in the year after, concerns are rife about whether Rodgers is in his best shape to think of reaching the Super Bowl this year. The Steelers are currently 17th on the odds board, with +4000, in terms of their chances of winning the Super Bowl this year. This places them in the lower half of the 32-team league.
{{/usCountry}}At a certain level, it would even be unfair to compare Manning and Brady to Rodgers given the vastly different circumstances and teams they find themselves in. Under Manning, the Denver Broncos allowed 14.7 points a game, forced seven turnovers, and recorded 14 sacks (10th highest in a single postseason). His record-breaking defense almost dragged him to the Super Bowl at a time when his physical condition was less than best.
Brady, on the other hand, had names like Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Antonio Brown, and Rob Gronkowski with him as part of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Moreover, he was only a season away from winning when he arrived on the team. Besides DK Metcalf, Rodgers has nowhere near the same proven and trustworthy support on his side as Manning and Brady had the advantage of.
The verdict
Although there is no doubt about Rodger’s skills on the field as a quarterback, the chances of those being enough to win a Super Bowl are highly against the Steelers’ favor.
By Stuti Gupta