Expectations and anticipation have skyrocketed. The 39-year-old star quarterback will be donning a new jersey this Super Bowl, the first time in his entire 18-year NFL career. Even though he brings an enormous amount of skill and experience to the New York Jets team, both the team and his personal performance have remained questionable following their rough preseason matches. 

Former NFL defense end for the Dallas Cowboys and the Baltimore Ravens, Marcus Spears recently addressed the concern and explained why MVP is out of the question for Aaron Rodgers this year while in conversation with sports journalist Stephen A. Smith. 

Aaron Rodgers “is not the main character” anymore

The August 22 episode of ESPN’s First Take co-hosted by Stephen A. Smith and Marcus Spears revolved around the four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers’ run for the fifth amongst other NFL-oriented discussions. On being asked if this NFL season would see Rodgers “playing at MVP level” the former defense end replied- “No, I am going to say no.” 

He went on to explain how this year the star quarterback “will be playing in the group, not the main character in the group,” since now unlike before he has new players who have proven themselves to be at par, if not better. 

“It takes time” continued Spears, to get used to playing with new members and a new team. And as demonstrated by the recent preseason games the New York Jets have had considerable issues perfecting the O-line. Even a seasoned quarterback like Rodgers fails to perform his best when pass protection becomes an issue as was evident during the practice match between the Jets team and the Carolina Panthers at Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

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While players like Kansas City Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes may perform better given the fact that they need not indulge in such toil associated with a change in the team so close to an upcoming Super Bowl season. The 39-year-old declared his intentions to be traded from the Green Bay Packers to the Jets in March this year and has received fairly less practice time with his new team and members. 

Other roadblocks to consider this Super Bowl

HBO’s “Hard Knocks” demonstrated Coach Robert Saleh’s disappointment and frustration following the disastrous outcome at the training camp. Connor McGovern sums up the situation perfectly as he witnessed, “frustration from everybody—everybody on the O-line, Aaron, the coaches,”

It turns out that the Jets’ offensive line needs work and with poor pass protection the team’s most sought-after quarterback is having trouble “trusting” his new members. Which in turn is affecting his performance. Jets wide receiver Corey Davis said that though Rodgers has been patient with his new team so far, he “could see that changing” “if it doesn’t pick up”. 

Apart from internal problems, Rodgers is set to face numerous other young players who have proved themselves and will be playing at MVP level this season. There is going to be serious competition as both NFL analysts and fans eagerly anticipate the level of performance the veteran will demonstrate.

Regardless of the challenging situations that lie ahead, the greatest quarterback the NFL has ever seen is prepared to adapt and achieve greater heights. As Stephen A. Smith correctly points out, when you are a high-level performer, “Competition makes you elevate your style”. 

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