Aaron Rodgers is arguably the most gifted quarterback in the history of the NFL, and the future Hall of Famer says that he remains a fan of Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback Carson Wentz, despite what's been a disastrous 2020 campaign.
In the Week 14 matchup between Wentz's Eagles and Rodgers' Green Bay Packers, we saw two quarterbacks - and teams - headed in opposite directions. Rodgers tossed three touchdowns and further strengthened his MVP candidacy. Meanwhile, Wentz was benched for rookie Jalen Hurts in the 30-16 loss, and will back up Hurts this week against the New Orleans Saints.
After the game, Rodgers and Wentz met at midfield and had a brief discussion. While Rodgers was unwilling to get into specifics on the conversation, the two-time All-Pro did defend Wentz.
"I don't wanna talk about what I said to Carson, I just think there's really some things that need to say [private]," Wentz said on The Pat McAfee Show. "I've been meaning to talk to him for a while, and I'm glad I got the opportunity to say some things to him, because I've always respected his game and been a fan of his game and I think he has a really unique skillset. Obviously it hasn't been a great year there in Philly...I think there's a lot of factors around him that contribute to that. So, I feel like it was a good, quick conversation, and I definitely wish him the best the rest of the year because I've been a fan of his since he got into the league and he's had some tough circumstances over his few years in the league...and I hope things work out for him, whether it's there or somewhere else."
Rodgers is keenly aware of what it's like to see your team use a high draft pick to select your possible successor, as the Packers traded up to select Jordan Love in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. However, Rodgers has responded with one of the best seasons of his illustrious career, putting the Packers in position to compete for the No. 1 seed in the NFC over the final month of the year. Wentz has had the worst season of his career, as he leads the league with 15 interceptions. As Wentz in many ways still chases the ghost of Nick Foles, Jay Glazer of FOX Sports reported this past weekend that many of Wentz's teammates believe he was rattled by the second-round selection of Hurts, and his play has indicated such a reality.
Now, Wentz will wait for another chance to redeem himself. Though his contract would make it extremely difficult - if not prohibitive - to move him this offseason, you just wonder if he needs a change of scenery. Rodgers seemed to allude above that the Eagles haven't set Wentz up to be successful, and it's perhaps possible he'll never be able to overcome watching Foles lead the team to a Super Bowl in his absence.
Rodgers admitted that he was a fan of Hurts in college, and that he appreciated the respect shown to him by the rookie quarterback after the game. But while Rodgers told McAfee that Hurts did more of the talking in their conversation, he took the lead with Wentz, saying that "I feel like I had a message that I wanted to share with him and hopefully encourage him a little bit."
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