BT believes more in the Giants making the playoffs next season than the Jets, and when pressed about the Jets and the return of Aaron Rodgers, BT made it known that he is tempering expectations with the future Hall of Famer, and not just because of his Achilles surgery.
“Is he?” BT said when Sal said Rodgers is a star. “Not even because of the Achilles. He wasn’t quite the same his last year in Green Bay. He wasn’t.
“Let’s say Rodgers’ last season in Green Bay was a fairly accurate depiction of who he is at this point. Let’s say he’s 5-10 percent slowed, or worse, because of the Achilles. Take that version of Rodgers and compare it to the version of Daniel Jones a year ago. How wide is that disparity?”
Rodgers went from a league-best 0.8 interception percentage in 2021 to 2.2, while logging the lowest passing yards in a full season of his career. His 26 touchdowns were also drastically down from 37 in 2021. Many blamed the Packers’ lack of offensive talent around him, and an injured thumb, but BT says there is legitimate concern that the 40-year-old won’t be the star many hoped he would be in New York.
“I think we romanticize who he is,” BT said. “Forget about the Achilles. We’ll see when he’s out there…the guy we saw in that last game against Detroit, who did not have a great season before he came here. So it’s the diminished skill that was evident with the Packers, now compounded by a very serious foot injury at the age of 40. We’re saying he’s still gonna be a star. I don’t know.”