Aaron Rodgers is about to take the reins of the Pittsburgh Steelers at the age of 41. After two tumultuous years on the New York Jets, which were preceded by problematic campaigns on the Green Bay Packers, Rodgers signed with a no-nonsense franchise.
And he spent the first half of the NFL offseason nonsensically putting off spending time and establishing relationships with his new teammates despite silently deciding on the Steelers long ago
One of Rodgers’ Packers teammates, BYU Cougars football legend Brady Poppinga, believes Pittsburgh will be getting damaged goods under center, given the damage that’s been done.
“I went to the Jets-Patriots game last year, and the thing that was sticking out about Aaron that was different was simply, it’s almost this unwillingness — I wouldn’t say unwillingness, because he’s tough — it’s almost like the body is tired and doesn’t want to take the hit,” Poppinga said on Infinity Sports Network’s “Reiter Than You” with Bill Reiter. “There’s a lot of flinching, there’s a lot of, I would say his vision is going from reading the field to the rush, which isn’t usually normal for high-level quarterbacks. High-level quarterbacks are kind of able to feel the rush and then they’re able to then keep their eyes downfield
Poppinga hit Rodgers with some age-related critiques on what Rodgers won’t be able to do as someone who can finish the season as the 10th-oldest quarterback in NFL history.
“As soon as you take your eye sight from the field — which is where your receivers are and how they’re spread out and configured in space versus the defenders — a receiver literally could come open and all of a sudden could become covered in a tenth of a second,” Poppinga said. “By the time you’re looking down at the rush and then back up to where you don’t see them even come open or even have a chance to come in open space. And that’s where I see him and that comes with age. It just a reality. It’s just human nature. Your body gets tired of getting hit, once it does, you begin to what I call flinch.”
If Rodgers finishes the season getting snaps, he’d pass Poppinga’s other quarterback during his Packers career, Brett Favre, on the all-time oldest QB list.
Pittsburgh likely hedged on Rodgers not finishing the year by locking up Mason Rudolph during the opening days of free agency.
