Bill Belichick certainly seems like someone who wouldn't be opposed to giving Aaron Rodgers another chance as a center.
The former New England Patriots coach had no intention of sidelining the four-time MVP after struggling with the Jets this season.
meanwhile, Latest episode of “Let’s Go!” On his podcast, Belichick made the case for a comeback season for the 41-year-old Rodgers, who is playing his first season after tearing his Achilles tendon.
“[Rodgers] He can easily bounce back from that, be ready to play, and have a good year next year,” Belichick said. “If you look at all the quarterbacks that are on the second team in the league, Russell Wilson, Geno Smith, they're doing pretty well.” [Sam] Darnold, Baker Mayfield, you are exactly right, [Matthew] Stafford, for that matter, Jared Goff.
“The players who change teams and go into a different system, things are a little different for them. Maybe they've learned something from whatever their past experience was. It changes. As a player If you have a long career and a good career, sometimes one season is just a bump in the road. It's not necessarily the end of the road.”
Rodgers has shown glimpses of his former glory, but at times he looked like a shell of himself as the Jets struggled through a 3-9 season. The former Packers star completed just 62.6 percent of his passes for 2,627 yards, 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
More importantly, Rodgers has had many chances to lead the Jets on game-winning drives late in games, but has come up short each time, except when Gang Green beat the Titans.
Belichick's praise for Rodgers will certainly please some ears. That's because he's likely to be a top candidate for multiple head coaching jobs this offseason after spending a year in the media after being fired by the Patriots after 24 years and six Super Bowl appearances. .
He knows it's not easy to tell if an older player has anything left, and he's taking a tough road from Tom Brady, who won a Super Bowl with the Buccaneers a year after leaving New England. I learned.
“One of the hardest things as a pro football coach is figuring out when the right time is and when it's not,” Belichick said. “One of the things that we sometimes run into as players get older in their careers is the injury factor. We also see players getting injured late in their career and even though it was actually an injury issue. Sometimes it makes it seem like it's an age issue. And once that injury heals, the player has more great football left in him.”
The Jets, who are looking for a new general manager and coach, will have to make that decision with Rodgers.
