Coming into the 2020 season, one of the more interesting narratives making the rounds was the notion that Aaron Rodgers might be past his prime at age 36. Even the most fanatical Rodgers fans wondered how well he would fit into Matt LaFleur’s balanced, highly-structured offense over time, and through Rodgers threw 30 touchdowns to just six interceptions in 2019 including the postseason, the fact that Packers traded up in the first round to take Utah State quarterback Jordan Love with the 26th overall pick was… well, maybe not the closing of the Rodgers era, but certainly an acknowledgement that the Packers see a future without him.
Rodgers said in the offseason that he was “not thrilled” about the Love pick, but that it’s about what he can do to stem the tide as opposed to any tenure based on prior performance.
“You can only control what you can control,” Rodgers concluded in May. “It’s a mantra for any great athlete. It’s something that’s out of my control. What I can control is how I play, and to make that decision a hard one.”
Rodgers was good for 19 of 28 for 201 yards and two touchdowns in the first half of Green Bay’s season opener against the Vikings, leading to a 22-10 Packers score at the half. Both of Rodgers’ touchdown passes are worth reviewing, because they each show the preposterous combination of mobility, velocity, and accuracy that makes Rodgers a unique entity at his best.
The first touchdown pass went to Davante Adams with 47 seconds left in the first half. Rodgers rolled to his right, and did what he does better than just about anybody else in NFL history — throwing on the move with anticipation at a level most quarterbacks only see in their dreams.
Aaron Rodgers still has FREAKISH ability. pic.twitter.com/tew5u9QN59
— Sam Monson (@PFF_Sam) September 13, 2020
Rodgers didn’t have to wait long for another opportunity. Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander picked off a Kirk Cousins pass on the second play of Minnesota’s subsequent drive, and this time around, it was second-year receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling MVS has rookie cornerback Cameron Dantzler draped all over him, but to no avail, because Rodgers’ timing and deep accuracy on this throw are as good as you’re going to see.
Oh my goodness. @AaronRodgers12 to @MVS__11 for a BEAUTIFUL @Packers TD!
📺: #GBvsMIN on FOX
📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: https://t.co/DTlgEUZamw pic.twitter.com/JSWpQGlW83— NFL (@NFL) September 13, 2020
There will come a time when Aaron Rodgers will no longer be Aaron Rodgers. Father Time is undefeated, as they say. But from what he’s shown in the first half of the first game in 2020, anyone insisting that Rodgers’ best days are behind him might want to avert their eyes.
