Competing in professional sports is typically a young person’s game, and that sentiment might be the most true in the NFL. However, we’ve seen several players defy the laws of aging and finish a season on top. But, is that Aaron Rodgers‘ destiny?
Rodgers isn’t just the oldest quarterback in the league right now, he’s also the oldest active player in the league. The face of the New York Jets was born on December 2, 1983, making him 40 years old and 41 by the time the 2024 regular season wraps.
But, regardless of his age, there’s a lot of optimism in New York because of the one-time Super Bowl champion’s presence. After ending his 18-season run with the Green Bay Packers (where he won the ring in 2011), Rodgers was traded to the Jets in 2023. And although this is his second year with the team, it’s his first true season. In the first game of the 2023 season, Rodgers tore his Achilles tendon when he was sacked. So, his debut with the Jets ended after four plays.
Fast forward a year and Rodgers is back, and he’s led the Jets to a 1-1 spread after two games. They were bested by the San Francisco 49ers in week 1 before defeating the Tennessee Titans to begin week 2.
What are Aaron Rodgers’ chances of winning another Super Bowl?
There are still a lot of questions circling Rodgers, with his age being a major talking point. The average age of starting quarterbacks at the start of the 2024 season is around 28 years old.
From my estimation, I believe Rodgers ca still snag his second Super Bowl ring despite his age. To do this, however, he has a lot of work ahead of him. From what we’ve seen thus far, he can’t carry the Jets himself, and his age definitely has something to do with that. We’ve seen flashes of his greatness, but he’ll need a lot of support from both the offensive and defensive rosters.
Rodgers must also stay healthy. In 2022, he broke the thumb on his throwing hand in week five, which affected him for the better half of his final season as a Packer. But, it’s not like we didn’t see Rodgers perform well in his late 30s. In fact, the four-time MVP was granted the accolade in 2020 and 2021.
Rodgers isn’t too old to win a Super Bowl, but it will be a steep mountain to climb. Whether it be derailing 30-year-old Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, or beating 27-year-old Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals to claim the league’s trophy, Rodgers knows what he is up against in his 20th NFL season.
After all, Tom Brady showed us that triumphing well into your 40s is possible. A lot has to go right for Rodgers to achieve the same feat, however, and perhaps you need to be a generational talent to make it happen. Only time will tell whether Rodgers is up for the challenge.
Published: Sep 17, 2024 02:30 am