Let’s get something out of the way from the very beginning. Aaron Rodgers is one of the greatest quarterbacks ever to grace an NFL field. The four-time regular season MVP has carved out an illustrious career, even capturing a Lombardi trophy in 2011.
It would be foolish to project a third-year player to be one of the best to lace them up. What is being suggested is how Aaron Rodgers’ career started and whether Jordan Love could carve out a similar beginning to his own NFL journey. Let’s take a look.
Fledging season
The Green Bay Packers have had a poor season by their lofty standards. They flopped in the playoffs for a team that finished with the league MVP last year and a 13-4 record. Expectations were high at the beginning of the year, but they would be lucky to make the postseason as things stand. The sportsbooks currently have them at -10000 to win the NFC North. It might be a good idea to look at other teams if you’re hoping to enjoy the best time with best NFL spreads.
With the season basically in the books, many fans and commentators are calling for young head coach Matt LaFleur to unleash the shackles on Jordan Love for the rest of the season. Rodgers is still under contract for next season; it may be time to shut him down for the year and make sure he doesn’t pick up an unnecessary injury. It could be a win-win for the Packers: they keep Rodgers healthy going into his 40s and see what they have in prospect Jordan Love. Perform well and he could take over the starting berth from Rodgers, or they could flip either player to get tools for whatever QB they choose to go with moving forward. Love has shown flashes of his potential, and starting the season’s remaining games could clearly indicate his ability.
The comparison between Love and Rodgers comes down to how Rodgers got started in the NFL. His first three seasons saw him behind one of the all-time great quarterbacks, Brett Favre. The three-time MVP won a Super Bowl for the Packers during his illustrious career and was beloved by the Cheeseheads. Taking over for him as a starter was going to be a challenge and Rodgers had to bide his time and learn from the legend. It was worth the wait, as when he finally did earn that starting position, he became a Packers legend in his own right.
However, things may not have been too pleasant behind the scenes. Favre never wanted to give up his spot on the starters and held on for as long as possible. In fact, Rodgers only became a starter when Favre briefly retired. He later came back, but the Packers ended up trading him to the New York Jets before he was moved on to the Minnesota Vikings, where he saw out his playing days.
Drafted at a similar age to Rodgers, Love faces identical challenges at the beginning of his career. Rodgers is the same age Favre was and a competitor like him would like to keep his starting spot. Given a chance, could Love repeat what has come before him?
Jordan Love vs Aaron Rodgers Differences
There are differences. Rodgers seems to be more open and accepting of Love than Favre was of him. He said he is open to the conversation on Love getting more playing time, which is a positive start.
However, Rodgers is also at a much higher standard than Favre during his final seasons. That’s not to say that Favre wasn’t good; he led the Packers to a 13–3 record that year and played a pivotal role. Rodgers won the last two regular season MVPs; clearly, he is still performing at such a high level, even if this season has been a down year.
Rodgers can be accepting of Love and still keep his starting position. Giving the player his support can help him grow, which in turn will strengthen the Packers. If Rodgers wants to win one more title, they could start by giving Love minutes in his position.