State of our former QB, Aaron Rodgers

[gopkrs]

The pay scale in any sport will never be solely based on performance. Sure there are performance bonuses written in the contracts, but base salary will always be set by what have you done prior, and potential to repeat or improve moving forward. Professional sports is a young man's game, aside for Kickers and QB's... if you are good/great at those positions, you will have a long career. The other positions are too physically demanding and the toll the body takes from hits is not sustainable, and guys who get to play into their 30's is a low percentage.

Hargrave is an exception

 

[OldSchool101]

I mean Love and Rodgers most base-level raw numbers are pretty similar.

Love 3381 yards, Rodgers 3322 yards
Love 23 pass TD, Rodgers 24 pass TD
Love 6 INT, Rodgers 7 INT
Love 66.3% completion, Rodgers 65.7%

But Love is pretty dramatically ahead of Rodgers now in every other regard:
Pass Success %: Love 50.2 (7th), Rodgers 42.9 (27th)
TD%: Love 5.2 (10th), Rodgers 4.8 (16th)
Y/A: Love 7.7 (8th), Rodgers 6.7 (27th)
AY/A: Love 8.1 (6th), Rodgers 7.0 (22nd)
Y/C: Love 11.6 (10th), Rodgers 10.2 (27th)
Passer Rating: Love 101.2 (6th), Rodgers 94.8 (14th)
QBR: Love 72.7 (3rd), Rodgers 44.4 (27th)
NY/A: Love 6.98 (7th), Rodgers 5.96 (23rd)
ANY/A: Love 7.4 (5th), Rodgers 6.3 (18th)
Air Yards/Attempt: Love 8.9 (6th), Rodgers 6.2 (30th)
Completion percentage over expected: Love 5.5 (3rd), Rodgers 0.0 (22nd)
EPA per play: Love 0.284 (2nd), Rodgers 0.064 (22nd)
Adjusted EPA/play: Love 0.289 (2nd), Rodgers 0.077 (22nd)

Plus Love since 2023 is Elite in avoiding Sacks. At one time (2021 and nearly a decade prior) Aaron was that guy.
Jordan Love boasts a 4.27% career sack rate. That’s #1 among active QBs since he started.

For someone who doesn’t understand the gravity of that spectrum…
-Pat Mahommes is at #2 among active QBs at 4.46% sacks
- Jared Goff isn’t far behind with a 5.19% career Sack rate at #3
-Josh Allen and Philip Rivers fill out the top #4 and #5 non retired lowest sacked QB’s.

This isn’t a contrived list. These are the career leaders or record breakers. Every name in the top 5 list is either an MVP or HOF type Passer.

-Tom Brady has a 4.48% career sack rate career
-Dan Marino went 4.71% Sacks career

QB with low Sack #’s have proven to be the best in the business. That’s not a mistake. They typically are guys that have a 6th sensory perception.

-Joe Montana set the all-time least # of sacks in any season record (1989)

 

[milani]

Plus Love since 2023 is Elite in avoiding Sacks. At one time (2021 and nearly a decade prior) Aaron was that guy.
Jordan Love boasts a 4.27% career sack rate. That’s #1 among active QBs since he started.

For someone who doesn’t understand the gravity of that spectrum…
-Pat Mahommes is at #2 among active QBs at 4.46% sacks
- Jared Goff isn’t far behind with a 5.19% career Sack rate at #3
-Josh Allen and Philip Rivers fill out the top #4 and #5 non retired lowest sacked QB’s.

This isn’t a contrived list. These are the career leaders or record breakers. Every name in the top 5 list is either an MVP or HOF type Passer.

-Tom Brady has a 4.48% career sack rate career
-Dan Marino went 4.71% Sacks career

QB with low Sack #’s have proven to be the best in the business. That’s not a mistake. They typically are guys that have a 6th sensory perception.

-Joe Montana set the all-time least # of sacks in any season record (1989)

Good numbers. A lot of guys who can get the ball out quickly and who had pretty good OLs. Like to see Russell Wilson numbers. It seems like the last 5 years he has to run for his life.
I think the one QB who will eclipse everyone soon will be Caleb Williams. He is a Houdini. And his OL is getting better.

 

[OldSchool101]

Good numbers. A lot of guys who can get the ball out quickly and who had pretty good OLs. Like to see Russell Wilson numbers. It seems like the last 5 years he has to run for his life.
I think the one QB who will eclipse everyone soon will be Caleb Williams. He is a Houdini. And his OL is getting better.

Absolutely is a scrambling threat. Smaller sampler but on 2025 it was
#1 Bo Nix



Caleb was the most improved Sack % drop. He improved from #45 (10.8%) in 2024 to 4.6% (#6) on 2025. Caleb broke the franchise record in 2024 for “most Sacked”. Which is likely why Chicago spent big $ revamping their OL in FA.

 

[Heyjoe4]

I'm really just posing the question strictly from a sporting perspective, too. For the thought exercise you can assign whichever name you'd like to it - I just mean a "Rodgers-level" quarterback, not so much Rodgers the "person" if that makes sense.

And like I was saying, I think you could do a lot worse if you found yourself in an emergency-type situation. If Love got injured and there was a veteran "Rodgers-level" free agent who we could have step in and lead the team for a year, that's not the worst thing in the world.

But, like I was also saying....that is NOT the situation that Pittsburgh found themselves in. It wasn't a case of "I'd be okay with Rodgers if there were no better options" but instead effectively taking a stance that proactively says "Rodgers is our best option"

If the Steelers had spent the last few months trying to sign a starting-caliber FA QB, or trying to facilitate a trade for a QB, or working on moving around in the draft to land one of their top targets (Not a great example given how QB-sparse this draft was), and finally arrived at the conclusion that none of those options were going to work out so they had Rodgers as their "fallback plan" and signed him late, that'd be understandable. Like I said, given the circumstances, last minute type thing, you could do a lot worse.

And granted the Steelers COULD have been doing those things behind the scenes. But if that's the case, let's just say they were very, VERY sneaky about it because we heard nary a peep about such activities...Rather it has seemed all along like the Steelers made the conscious choice to not pursue other FA QBs, not pursue a trade, and not move around any draft capital BECAUSE they were banking on Rodgers being their QB.

So that to me is the big distinction here. Again, speaking purely from a sporting perspective, not personality... I would absolutely be on board with a Rodgers-type QB in a pinch, short term, Plan B or C type of thing. But I would have a very hard time signing on to the idea that Rodgers as "Plan A" is the best path forward for the Steelers (or most teams, to be brutally honest)

I agree with you. Pittsburgh has seemed unconcerned about stabilizing their QB position. As you note, it's fine to pick up a guy like Rodgers for a season, or part of a season, if the starter goes down. But to rely on a guy who will be gone soon - that's organizational negligence.

I wonder if they talked with Willis' agent. It seemed like Hafley's move to Miami and the signing of Willis went hand in hand. That's probably due to good planning (and opportunity) on Hafley's part.

 

[Heyjoe4]

Absolutely is a scrambling threat. Smaller sampler but on 2025 it was
#1 Bo Nix



Caleb was the most improved Sack % drop. He improved from #45 (10.8%) in 2024 to 4.6% (#6) on 2025. Caleb broke the franchise record in 2024 for “most Sacked”. Which is likely why Chicago spent big $ revamping their OL in FA.

Did the Packers sack Williams in any of the three games last season? He seems like a very, very hard guy to tackle, much less tackle him behind the LOS.

 

[gopkrs]

I agree with you. Pittsburgh has seemed unconcerned about stabilizing their QB position. As you note, it's fine to pick up a guy like Rodgers for a season, or part of a season, if the starter goes down. But to rely on a guy who will be gone soon - that's organizational negligence.

I wonder if they talked with Willis' agent. It seemed like Hafley's move to Miami and the signing of Willis went hand in hand. That's probably due to good planning (and opportunity) on Hafley's part.

I don't know what round last year but this year they used a 3rd. Seems like they are thinking about it

 

[milani]

Did the Packers sack Williams in any of the three games last season? He seems like a very, very hard guy to tackle, much less tackle him behind the LOS.

I can only think of the one time at Lambeau in the 2nd quarter, although they did get pressure. Parsons broke in and Caleb started to run straight ahead and was hit directly by someone else. In Chicago I cannot recall any sacks. He may have scrambled for like no gain.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

The pay scale in any sport will never be solely based on performance.

Unless you are a professional golfer or tennis player Obviously, those are both individual sports, where what you earn is solely based on how well you play during a specific time period/event.

I've said it many times before, team sports like Football, Basketball and Baseball would be so much better, in many ways, if the participants pay was actually tied to specific performance. With technology being as advanced as it is, it would be so simple to derive formulas to determine pay for each participant. A computer using the formulas and game video, could literally have a check printed out and ready to hand to each player as they walked off the field after each game.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

I don't know what round last year but this year they used a 3rd. Seems like they are thinking about it

The Steelers drafted OSU QB Will Howard in the 6th round in 2025. That isn't much different than the Packers using a 5th round to draft PSU QB Sean Clifford in 2023. I think both teams saw somebody that they really liked and felt was too good to pass up on. In the Packers case and with Clifford, he was probably not viewed as a guy that would replace Love, but back him up. That turned out to be a huge waste of a 5th round pick.

 

[DoURant]

I've said it many times before, team sports like Football, Basketball and Baseball would be so much better, in many ways, if the participants pay was actually tied to specific performance. With technology being as advanced as it is, it would be so simple to derive formulas to determine pay for each participant. A computer using the formulas and game video, could literally have a check printed out and ready to hand to each player as they walked off the field after each game.

In theory that sounds good, but I see a lot of infighting amongst teammates. Ex. You missed a block, and I took a 5 yard loss.... you cost me this many $$$. Or I want to be traded, because my QB isn't going to maximize my talents.

I agree with you though, and I support a guaranteed base salary for all players, tied into how many years they have been in the league, and then try to figure a way to supplement it after.

Again, I just feel the issue with individual stats/performance based salary, would cause way too much animosity between teammates, and players not being "team" players.

 

[SudsMcBucky]

Rodgers plans to retire after this upcoming season.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/48827851/steelers-aaron-rodgers-says-plans-retire-season

 

[DoURant]

Rodgers plans to retire after this upcoming season.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/48827851/steelers-aaron-rodgers-says-plans-retire-season

Well deserved, great career, we were lucky to have so many years with him as QB1 in Green Bay.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

In theory that sounds good, but I see a lot of infighting amongst teammates. Ex. You missed a block, and I took a 5 yard loss.... you cost me this many $$$. Or I want to be traded, because my QB isn't going to maximize my talents.

I agree with you though, and I support a guaranteed base salary for all players, tied into how many years they have been in the league, and then try to figure a way to supplement it after.

Again, I just feel the issue with individual stats/performance based salary, would cause way too much animosity between teammates, and players not being "team" players.

I think what you are stating (bolded) probably already exists. Especially when it comes to players that are nearing a new contract. They want great stats leading up to that new contract, so they make more money.

Like I have always said. I know that the NFL pays players based on their past performances, hopeful growth/development and staying healthy. I just think the end product for the team and the fans do not benefit from this pay structure. The reality is, quite a few players, in the end, fall short of "earning their new deals". A problem that will only continue to get worse as the guaranteed money continues to grow.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Rodgers plans to retire after this upcoming season.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/48827851/steelers-aaron-rodgers-says-plans-retire-season

Did he say retire or immunized? Asking for a friend.

 

[Heyjoe4]

I don't know what round last year but this year they used a 3rd. Seems like they are thinking about it

Thanks gopkrs. I didn't know they used a 3rd this year on a QB.

This is the "problem" with finishing consistently above .500 - draft position. I don't believe teams "throw" games for draft position, even teams in contention for the first pick.

And even a QB taken at #1 is no guarantee, especially of the surrounding cast is weak.

 

[Heyjoe4]

Well deserved, great career, we were lucky to have so many years with him as QB1 in Green Bay.

Yeah for all of his strange behavior, we were very fortunate Rodgers played for GB for so many years. I have nothing but good memories of those years, and that's a lot more than most fans can say. And he is, IMO, the greatest QB to play in GB, maybe in the top 5 to ever play in the NFL.

I'm glad he announced that this is his last year. The season will play out partially as a farewell tour. Good for him.

 

[Heyjoe4]

Rodgers plans to retire after this upcoming season.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/48827851/steelers-aaron-rodgers-says-plans-retire-season

Thanks Suds. Didn't see this. Good for Rodgers. He deserves a "farewell" where he can still play better than 75% of all NFL QBs.

 

[OldSchool101]

Did the Packers sack Williams in any of the three games last season? He seems like a very, very hard guy to tackle, much less tackle him behind the LOS.

Idk. I’m trying to put last season behind me

 

[milani]

Idk. I’m trying to put last season behind me

In the first game Enagbare sacked him once for 9 yards, thanks to Parsons pressure that forced him forward.
In game 3 Van Ness got him for another 9 yard sack in the second half.
That is it. He got away a lot.

 

[Heyjoe4]

Idk. I’m trying to put last season behind me

Good idea, especially the playoff loss.

For all his elusiveness and 4th quarter magic, CW is certainly not ann elite QB. He vacates the pocket too soon, and his completion record is pretty dismal, like 60% - maybe.

But he's there when the game is on the line. Pretty amazing for a guy with only two seasons at QB. Well the Bearz eventually had to find a real starting QB. It only took them about 40 years.

The Bearz still, and always will, suck. After last season, they're more aggravating than usual. i'm looking forward to beating them twice this season, and sending a big "**** you" to Johnson.

 

[rmontro]

The Bearz still, and always will, suck. After last season, they're more aggravating than usual. i'm looking forward to beating them twice this season, and sending a big "**** you" to Johnson.

On one hand, I think the Bears will be better this year. But on the other hand, I don't think they'll win all those close games in such bizarre heroic fashion. So that kind of even things out.