Aaron Rodgers sure doesn’t look like a reigning back-to-back MVP this season.
The Green Bay Packers quarterback is posting career low numbers, and after their 23-21 loss to the Washington Commanders on Sunday, his team is now on a three-game losing streak, despite starting the season 3-1.
The Packers face the 5-1 Buffalo Bills on Sunday night, and Rodgers thinks the Packers are up to the challenge, regardless of their slow start to the season.
“I’m not worried about this squad,” Rodgers said, according to CBS Sports. “In fact, this might be the best thing for us. This week, nobody’s going to give us a chance, going to Buffalo on ‘Sunday Night Football,’ with a chance to get exposed. Shoot, this might be the best thing for us.”
How bad has Aaron Rodgers been this season?
Here are some stats that illustrate Rodgers’ struggles this season:
- Rodgers’ average passing yards per game (228.1) and passing yards per attempt (6.5) are at a career low this season, and the 1.6 touchdowns he averages per game are the second-lowest they’ve ever been since he became a starter 15 years ago, Kevin Patra of “Around the NFL” reported.
- Through the first seven games, the quarterback hasn’t thrown for over 300 yards or more than three touchdowns in a game this season, which is a first in Rodgers’ career, Patra reported.
- The Packers are ranked No. 23 in points per game with 18.1 and tied with the Arizona Cardinals at No. 15 for passing yards per game with 221.3, according to ESPN.
- By comparison, last season, the Packers were ranked No. 10 in points per game and No. 8 in passing yards per game, and Rodgers was No. 4 among quarterbacks in touchdowns scored with 37, despite missing a game due to COVID-19, according to ESPN.
Who is to blame?
Rodgers hasn’t hesitated to criticize his receivers for mental errors and dropped passes.
This season, Rodgers is without his favorite receiving target, Davante Adams, who was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders during the offseason. Three of the seven receivers on the roster are rookies, and one of the veterans has only been in the league for two years.
During his weekly appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Tuesday, he said players “who are making too many mistakes shouldn’t be playing.” He told McAfee that the team makes mistakes or mental errors on up to 20% of the offensive plays this season, according to ESPN.
Following practice on Wednesday, he was asked by reporters to clarify his comments.
“I don’t understand why people have a problem with things that are truthful,” he said. “I’m calling things the way I see it.”
Rodgers preached accountability in response to the questions, and he made sure to include himself as someone who needs to be held accountable.
“I’m doing what I think is in the best interest of our guys, and I’ve tried a lot of different things from a leadership standpoint this year, and I was just relating my personal feelings on the situation,” he said. “I didn’t call anybody out by name. I think we all need to be on the details, and that includes me.”
Is it time for Aaron Rodgers to retire?
There was speculation that Rodgers wouldn’t even be a Packer this season. Those rumors were squashed when the quarterback signed a three-year $150 million contract extension in March and became the NFL’s highest-paid quarterback, according to NBC Sports.
Rodgers turns 39 in December, and because of this season’s struggles, Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner told People Magazine that he thinks it’s time for both Rodgers and Tom Brady to retire.
“I think both of those guys look like they’re exhausted,” he said. “It’s OK to go, ‘You know what? It’s not how it used to be. I may not be who I used to be, or, it’s just too hard overall to get everybody up to the standard. Maybe it is time to walk away.’”
Rodgers previously said he felt he could play past age 40, according to NBC Sports.