Even the Tom Brady enthusiasts of the world can agree on one thing: a career should have a proper ending. For Brady, that happened, for Rodgers ….
The year 2020 metaphorically marked the moment when the world stopped. Social distancing and face masks were common in society. While the world was trying to grasp what new normalcy looked like, Tom Brady led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a Super Bowl win in his first year with the franchise.
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Nothing is more impressive than having left the New England Patriots and Bill Belichick behind to go south and add another statistic to his Hall of Fame resume. His teammates spoke of his unparalleled leadership and the unmatched environment he created. Tom Brady set a standard.
There have been many comparisons between Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers. Hall of Fame quarterbacks. Both were Super Bowl winners. Both are incredibly gifted throwers of the football that anyone has ever seen. Both step into a room, and people flock to them, mystified by their presence.
But there is one glaring difference between them. Aaron Rodgers has not found the success Brady saw in the latter years of his career. After winning three MVPs, the Green Bay Packers moved in a different direction. They had drafted Jordan Love because they felt Rodgers’ best years were behind him, and even though he won an MVP after they drafted Love, they stood firm in their beliefs.
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The Jets came knocking on Rodgers’ door. A franchise that hadn’t felt much success in recent years. It was a franchise with one lone Super Bowl that made Joe Namath a man of football legend. A brief resurgence in the early 2000s did nothing to change the fortunes of Jets fans. Mark Sanchez…butt fumble. No other words are left to be said.
The following years have been one misstep after another. Fired coaches, a revolving door of quarterbacks, and the agony of watching the team currently in New York, the Buffalo Bills, have consistent success. When Aaron Rodgers arrived in New York, the Jets’ fans thought their fortunes had changed. He embraced the city. They embraced him. He went to the Knicks games. He dined at New York restaurants. The joyfulness of having a competent quarterback reverberated throughout the Jets’ fanbase.
Then, it all came crashing down only a few snaps into the NFL season. Aaron Rodgers was sidelined with an Achilles injury. It was over even before it began. But the Jets fans still held out hope, even if it was a small semblance of hope. But the 2023-2024 season was one to forget. Ask any Jets fan to describe the season in one word; they will have plenty to produce. Terrible. Underwhelming. Letdown. Embarrassing. Agonizing. To name a few.
The atmosphere around their quarterback was even more devastating than the number of losses. Warranted or not, Aaron Rodgers took a hefty share of the blame for the team’s failures. He wanted the coach, Robert Saleh, to be fired midseason. He was the one who wished to Devante Adams, which was a move that didn’t move the needle. It was he who said the Jets team needed to limit distractions. He also went to Egypt and missed preseason team training. Aaron Rodgers could have been a Vice President for a few weeks. His presence on the Pat McAfee show was often hours-long debates amongst many media members and personalities. At the end of the season, the Jets fans had their fill of Aaron Rodgers, whether he championed all circumstances or not.
Aaron Rodgers’ legacy is undoubtedly intact. He will enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame on the first ballot. If the voters don’t vote for him, it will be because they don’t like him. But unfortunately, it doesn’t seem that he will have the same type of success Tom Brady had in the end.
It is hard for such an accomplished player to end their career. Most people feel that Aaron Rodgers hasn’t helped his playing mortality. His abrasive and often unique attitude has affected his team’s success. Aaron Rodgers is not a leader and has never been in those people’s eyes. He is not Tom Brady. Either side of the opinion you fall on is challenging to watch.
We want all our legends immortalized in the golden hierarchy of their sport, to transcend culture like Michael Jordan, to be beloved like Peyton Manning, Dan Marino, or Joe Montana, to end their careers and ride blissfully off into the sunset. We want that for them, but it doesn’t always happen.
Tom Brady enthusiasts feel a certain way about Aaron Rodgers. The two are not the same. Tom Brady is the GOAT, but Rodgers is not even close. Nothing will ever sway their opinion. But even the Tom Brady enthusiasts of the world can agree on one thing: a career should have a proper ending. Without it, people debate the validity of your job for years on end.
