We have heard multiple times that age is just a number. Well, is it really so? All the New York Jets fans might witness Aaron Rodgers fighting against his age to make a comeback as a starting QB. We all know he can still throw a football like a magician, but time and age spare no one. Everyone is confused whether Aaron is still as strong and skilled as he once was, or has age started to catch up with him. The player has the abilities, experience, and football IQ, but does he still have that game-changing spark?

In the 19th August episode of the Colin Cowherd podcast, Cowherd and ‘3 & Out‘ host John Middlekauff shared their thoughts on the diminishing skills of Rodgers. While Colin believes the player lacks commitment and is not at the top in the AFC. He stated, “I don’t think he’s a top. I don’t think he’s a top-six quarterback in the AFC.” John agreed with Cowherd and said, “Well, 100% and he’s 40 years old. One thing I’ve noticed on NFL network, and it’s hard because he doesn’t play any of these preseason games. I think he’s moving slow. Every clip I see, it’s like, he looks like the 45-year-old guy.”

Middlekauff clearly highlighted how age has weighed down the performance of the OG Rodgers we once used to know. He not only discussed how something is off with AR but also shed light on his movement into slow motion.

Middlekauff added, “If you just went to the gym, you see kind of jogging around, shooting hoops. That’s what he looks like. And that’s a little concerning because that’s never how he’s played.” Imagine seeing a guy in the gym just casually jogging around, doing no intense workout, and just going through the motions. Now, picture that same vibe on the NFL gridiron, and that’s exactly how Aaron Rodgers has been looking lately. It’s a bit concerning, right?

The same guy who was famous for his sharp, quick movements and unmatchable focus, is just dialing down like this? Well, it’s definitely raising some eyebrows because that’s not what Rodgers fans used to see. And no matter how much people love the QB, we cannot deny that age is a sportsman’s enemy. However, the battle between age and Rodgers has just started, and it is yet to be seen how the QB will go from here!

Can Aaron Rodgers bounce back as he struggles in practice?

We all know Aaron Rodgers as the cool, confident leader on the field, but lately, his practice sessions say something else. The QB’s performance has just left fans scratching their heads with confusion. Is he just pacing himself, or is there something more going on? It has reached a point where Robby Sabo, the Jets’ co-founder, took to his X account to post about it.

The QB had a ‘truly grotesque day‘ at practice on 19th August and Sabo quickly tweeted about it. He mentioned how AR and the receiver were not on the same page, leading to ‘an incredible number of miscommunications in the passing game.’ His major mistakes were — missing open targets, holding the ball for too long, and a disappointing rushing game. Even the passes were incomplete because of a lack of accuracy.

Aaron is now the oldest QB in the NFL! He has been fighting his demons for the last two seasons and it has been evident during his last year with the Green Bay Packers. With that said, the 2022 season was not quite good for the QB with a downturn of 3,695 passing yards, 26 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions, which were among the fewest for him since 2017. And that’s just the starting of the tensions as his quarterback rating over recent years has also been dropping. Rodgers had a rating of 41.3 in 2022, significantly lower than his previous average of mid to high 70s. AR fails to give his best and his decreased touchdowns and increased interceptions show the same, making him a red flag!

With the offense of the New York Jets not so strong, Rodgers is in a poor light. However, it might just not be the QB’s day and he might be leveling up his game. And let’s not forget that Rodgers has overcome challenges before, and it’s too soon to count him out. For now, all eyes are on him as fans wait to see if Rodgers can bounce back to prove age really is just a number.