New York Jets superstar quarterback Aaron Rodgers spent most of his career getting drowned with praise from NFL analysts and fans. Rivals would cast shade in various forms, but it was rare to see analysts continue to take shots.
Perhaps now more than ever, analysts have taken turns knocking Rodgers down a peg. In a segment on The Carton Show, former NFL star Plaxico Burress said something that may rub the quarterback the wrong way.
Speaking on Wednesday’s edition of “The Carton Show,” Burress both handed the quarterback a massive compliment and took a shot in one breath.
“Best regular season quarterback… Aaron Rodgers,” Burress said.
The keywords in the statement were “regular season.” By making that distinction, Burress claimed that Rodgers was not worthy of a compliment after December.
Of course, that doesn’t mean Burress doesn’t think Rodgers is a quality player in the playoffs. However, to be the best, one must dominate in all areas of the criteria.
Had Burress said Rodgers was the best quarterback, period, it would indicate that he was also the best after December as well. Of course, it would be tough to rank Rodgers over every other quarterback in playoff history with just one Super Bowl ring.
Aaron Rodgers embarks on quest to catch Tom Brady’s 40s playoff success
At this point, Rodgers remains the last top quarterback from the eras featuring the likes of Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger, Eli Manning, and others. Now on the wrong side of 40, Rodgers has entered an opportunity to catch Peyton Manning and Tom Brady in one key statistic.
With a Super Bowl win, Rodgers would tie Peyton Manning and Tom Brady as the third starting quarterback to win a Super Bowl with two different franchises. Before Manning had accomplished that feat in 2015, no one had done it. Now, two players from Rodgers’ era have done so.
In addition, he aims to chase Brett Favre’s bar set with the New York Jets. Favre, Rodgers’ mentor, also had gone from the Packers to the Jets. According to Pro Football Reference, Favre managed to finish over .500 with a 1:1 touchdown-interception ratio.
Even if he doesn’t win the Super Bowl, he has a realistic consolation prize. If Aaron Rodgers can earn 10 wins and throw for a better ratio than 22 touchdowns and 22 interceptions, he will have enough numerical evidence to win the comparison. However, will he be able to pull it off?
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