The Fall of Aaron Rodgers

Future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers career may be over sooner than expected.

Green Bay Packers QB #12, is on the sidelines waiting to get onto the field.

All-Pro Reels, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Green Bay Packers QB #12, is on the sidelines waiting to get onto the field.

Have you ever wondered what has happened to future Hall of Fame, legendary quarterback Aaron Rodgers?

Aaron Rodgers NFL career began in 2005, he was the 24th overall pick by the Green Bay Packers. Rodgers served as the Packers backup quarterback behind NFL legend Brett Farve. Rodgers only got a couple of games in his first couple of years in the league, as Farve was the first quarterback for the Packers. In 2008, Farve left the Packers for still some uncertain reasons. Rodgers automatically took over at the position and did not disappoint.

Rodgers football career began at Pleasant Valley high school in Chico, California. All though a star in high school, he was not heavily recruited by big football schools. Aaron played at community college, until transferring to the University of California in 2003. He led the team to a 10-2 record and were ranked #9 by the AP poll at the end of the season. Being named all-conference in the PAC-10 in 2004, he was than drafted in 2005.

After a win at home stadium Lambeau field, Aaron Rodgers gathers support from Packers fans.

When Rodgers got the starting job in 2008, and he proved everyone wrong, as critics said the team would be in shambles without Farve under center. In 2008, Rodgers passed for 4,038 yards and 28 touchdowns. With his success, he was given a six year, 65-million-dollar extension to stay with the team. He continued setting records in 2009, as he had a whopping 103.2 passer rating, setting the all-time franchise record and leading the team to the playoffs at the same time.

In 2010, Rodgers continued his success. The packers finished the season with an 10-6 record, making the playoffs yet again and winning the first 3 games in the playoffs, leading Green Bay to the super bowl, against the AFC Pittsburgh Steelers. In the super bowl he went 24/39 and threw for 304 yards and 3 touchdowns, winning Americas biggest sporting event of the year, and grabbing the super bowl MVP award along with a ring. Rodgers went on to be arguably the best quarterback in the decade, having an even more remarkable 2011 season, leading the league in passer rating in 2011 and 2012, as the team continued to make the playoffs, and fall short of a second ring of every year. The Packers would continue to make the playoffs, for 7 straight years in 2015.

Head coach Matt LaFleur is on the headset with QB Aaron Rodgers, discussing which play should come next.

In 2019, the Packers made a coaching change, firing head coach Mike McCarthy, and hiring new coach Matt Lafleur to be the new head coach, as Rodgers stayed with the team through this change, hoping to bring the team back to the playoffs and finally get his second ring. Rodgers and his new coach would advance to the NFC championship, falling short of the Super bowl once again to the San Fransisco 49ers.

Rodgers continued having exceptional campaigns, topping the league in all statistical categories. The team would find themselves back against the 49ers in the divisional round of the playoffs in 2021, but lost on a game winning field goal, in front of their home crowd. Green Bay began tired of losing in the playoffs every year, but no change was made.

Going into this year’s NFL season, the expectations were through the roof for the Aaron Rodgers team. An opening loss to rival Minnesota Vikings started the team off on the wrong foot. Followed up by 3 wins, Rodgers and the Packers were back to their winning ways, until they lost the next 5 games, falling to the bottom of the standings. The Packers are now 4-8, as their playoff hopes are dead for the season, and questions have been asked about if Rodgers should even play as the teams QB the rest of the season.