{"id":51579,"date":"2025-05-27T08:36:27","date_gmt":"2025-05-27T08:36:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=51579"},"modified":"2025-05-27T08:36:27","modified_gmt":"2025-05-27T08:36:27","slug":"aaron-rodgers-is-a-shell-of-former-self-says-espn-in-brutal-steelers-update","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=51579","title":{"rendered":"Aaron Rodgers Is A ‘Shell’ Of Former Self Says ESPN in Brutal Steelers Update.."},"content":{"rendered":"
“Everyone wants to talk about Aaron Rodgers going to the Steelers, and that’s their hope. This is not MVP Aaron Rodgers. This is not 2020 Aaron Rodgers. This is a shell of that. He was a bad quarterback in the NFL last season.” – ESPN’s Dan Graziano.<\/div>\n
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Some things about\u00a0Aaron Rodgers\u00a0will likely never change.<\/p>\n

The maybe future QB of the\u00a0Pittsburgh Steelers\u00a0enjoys so much being an “enigma” that the docuseries about his greatness is entitled “Enigma.”<\/p>\n

And as we’re talked about many times, Rodgers loves the drama that comes with him being cryptic and coy and cute.<\/p>\n

But ESPN is using another word to describe what he is vs. what he was.<\/p>\n

“Shell.” As it, “a shell of his former self” as a player.<\/p>\n

During an recent appearance at a concert in Austin staged by a musician who calls himself \u201cMike Stud,\u201d Rodgers was mic’ed up when he was asked if he\u2019d ever sign with the\u00a0Chicago Bears, who he famously and repeatedly mocked during his days with the\u00a0Green Bay Packers.<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe there\u2019s a\u00a0team that might play in Chicago this year\u00a0on a road trip,\u201d Rodgers replied.<\/p>\n

See? Cryptic and coy and cute.<\/p>\n

The Steelers as you surely know, play at Chicago this season. … on November 23, which is Week 12.<\/p>\n

So there is your “commitment” from the four-time\u00a0NFL\u00a0MVP … or as close as it’s going to get until he actually signs the one-year, $30 million deal that’s been offered.<\/p>\n

Yes, Rodgers is easily the best option at\u00a0Pittsburgh\u2019s\u00a0disposal; he will be, even on the wrong side of 40, the\u00a0top quarterback in a room with young journeyman Mason Rudolph and rookie Will Howard.<\/p>\n

And he’s probably better than trading for Kirk Cousins, we suppose.<\/p>\n

But …<\/p>\n

Insider Aditi Kinkhabwala recently shared an optimistic view of the situation via Rodgers.<\/p>\n

“He kept talking about feeling significantly better,” Kinkhabwala said in a radio visit. “I expect him to, this year, be significantly better than he was last year, physically. It’s just the … added year of post-injury that should have an impact.”<\/p>\n

That goes contrary to the brutal analysis ESPN insider Dan Graziano is now offering up.<\/p>\n

“Everyone wants to talk about Aaron Rodgers going to the Steelers, and that’s their hope. This is not MVP Aaron Rodgers. This is not 2020 Aaron Rodgers. This is a shell of that,” Graziano said on “Get Up.” “He was a\u00a0bad<\/em>\u00a0quarterback\u00a0in the NFL last season. …”<\/p>\n

This mirrors our view, and one we’ve expressed often here …\u00a0 which is why we continue to be surprised that somehow Rodgers, coming off a dismal\u00a0New York Jets’ 5-12 season during which he was as much a problem as any Jet, managed to grab some leverage with a team.<\/p>\n

With your team.<\/p>\n

Rodgers is cryptic and coy and cute. … and if the critics are right, in danger of also being cruddy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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