Father Time is undefeated. For Aaron Rodgers, his time might be up. Turning 42 before the end of the year, the Pittsburgh Steelers might be getting a four-time MVP resume but not a player currently able to capture that past glory. On Tuesday’s First Take, that’s the case Shannon Sharpe made.
“Are you getting an old Aaron Rodgers or just an old Aaron Rodgers?” Sharpe said. “Because they’re two different players now. What we saw in New York was a guy that can’t consistently game in and game out. Deliver. I think you’re asking him to be what he was in Green Bay during those MVP seasons. I don’t believe he’s at that level anymore.
First, to Shannon, “an old Aaron Rodgers or just an old Aaron Rodgers,” is bars. Second, he makes a fair point. Even last year, Rodgers had moments of high-level play reminiscent of his dominant run throughout the 2010s. He capped the season with a four-touchdown performance in a Week 18 win over the Miami Dolphins, his first such game since 2021. Looking healthier and more spry at the end of the season, being two years removed from his 2023 torn Achilles may be a benefit despite moving further into his 40s.
But the tape showed there were signs of physical decay. A player who wasn’t quite as accurate as he used to be. A passer whose arm has diminished and can no longer make elite off-platform throws when the play breaks down. A sitting duck in the pocket who can’t break away from rushers. A good quarterback, sure. But a great one? No.
“As you get older, those games that you could stay at [a high] level become far few and far between,” Sharpe said. “You’re not able to do it consistently, game in and game out. Throw in and throw out. So I think that’s his biggest problem.”
To a degree, Pittsburgh already experienced that issue with Russell Wilson. Though younger and more mobile, Wilson isn’t the athlete of a decade ago and his legs were unable to avoid sacks he could in his 20s. He ran himself into additional pressure and had the highest throwaway rate of his career, 7.4 percent.
Assuming Rodgers signs, the Steelers will continue their trend of getting older at quarterback. From a 25-year-old Kenny Pickett to a 36-year-old Russell Wilson to a 41-year-old-Aaron Rodgers. By 2028, they’ll start a 79-year-old Terry Bradshaw. At some point, Pittsburgh will have to focus on a youth movement and take the chance on someone younger, though there’s no guarantee that player becomes the answer.
Recommended for you