NFL Coach Criticizes Aaron Rodgers: Jets QB Is 'Not Close to the Same Player'

Amid the New York Jets' highly disappointing 2-6 start, many within the NFL are expressing their belief that quarterback Aaron Rodgers is nowhere near the same player was when he won the NFL MVP Award four times with the Green Bay Packers.

Speaking to Jeff Howe of The Athletic, several anonymous sources gave their takes on Rodgers' struggles, including a defensive coach, who expressed their belief that Rodgers is trying to play like his old self despite no longer possessing the same skill set:

"[Rodgers is] trying to play as if he's 10 years younger, and he's not close to the same player. He can still throw it in a clean pocket with the best of the best, [but his] mobility is not the same. He's jumpy and has missed some throws I've never seen him miss."

An NFL executive pointed to Rodgers inability to escape the pocket and run like he used to since he is now 40 years old and coming off a torn Achilles:

"Rodgers' skill erosion is real. Not being able to extend plays with his feet puts a lot of pressure on the offensive line to be firm up the middle and the playmakers to get open quicker. I won't be surprised if you see more of the screen game being put into their offense. They really need to ride Breece Hall more as a runner and pass catcher out of the backfield."

Another NFL exec suggested that expectations were simply too high for Rodgers entering the season given his age and the severity of the injury he suffered last season:

"Rodgers has been so good for so long that it's almost like people believed he was immune from the effects of tearing his Achilles at 40 years old. That's a difficult injury for a young player. To be 40 and play at that [expected] level, that's really hard, and they can't protect him.

"At his age, Aaron is coming off a career-ending injury in most sports. To not have the footwork, quickness and mobility, that's fine. We should expect that. But for some reason, the expectation is he should be looking like the MVP from 2021. That's not living in reality. He's probably doing better than most 40-year-olds with that injury. It's almost unfair to him to ask him to be the driver of that team in those circumstances. But there's a double-edged sword that maybe he doesn't realize he's not the same Aaron he was in 2021."

Rodgers and the Jets are coming off their most embarrassing loss of the season, as they fell 25-22 on the road to the New England Patriots on Sunday. In a game that saw promising rookie quarterback Drake Maye leave due to injury, veteran journeyman Jacoby Brissett came off the bench to lead the game-winning drive against New York.

While Rodgers had one of his better games of the season, going 17-of-28 for 233 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions, the Jets were still unable to seal the deal.

They are now 0-3 since firing head coach Robert Saleh and replacing him on an interim basis with Jeff Ulbrich, and 0-2 since acquiring wide receiver Davante Adams from the Las Vegas Raiders.

At 40 years old, Rodgers is the oldest player in the NFL. While he's shown flashes of the four-time NFL MVP level he's accustomed to, his age and injury history have appeared to catch up with him.

Through eight games this year, Rodgers has 1,896 yards, 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions. While those numbers aren't horrible for an average quarterback, they aren't good enough for a future Hall of Famer like Rodgers.

The Jets now find themselves in a highly difficult situation, as they may only be able to afford to lose one or two more games for the remainder of the season in order to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2010.

Their attempt to turn the season around starts Thursday night when they host quarterback C.J. Stroud and the 6-2 Houston Texans.