Aaron Rodgers: Among the Green Bay Packers greats
While some have said Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is the best ever, we’ve held off on that until some things showed in black, white, green and gold. It’s not that we never noticed his accomplishments. He has pulled this team through some tough times, delivering several divisional titles and one league championship.
And how about a 15-1 season not too long ago. Another division title. Year after year, he has helped in big ways, taking this team to the level o continual contender.
That is a portion of working to become great. There are a few other things that need to be accomplished for any Green Bay Packer to be considered among the all-time best.
Aaron Rodgers
Raymond T. Rivard photograph
It doesn’t come easy. Aaron Rodgers has been quietly moving his way upward – statistically. He doesn’t show any signs of slowing down.
Here’s an analogy – stay with me here … The beaver will not go find the biggest tree around and have it drop over the creek to build his dam. No, the little engineer has other plans. He takes the small twigs after a few sticks, mixed and tied with a branch or two and adding on the little things he finds.
The smaller things make up the dam, and it takes time in the making.
So goes the greatest NFL quarterbacks. In recent times, we have seen the best in those who do not play for just any team, they play for the Green Bay Packers.
Which other team has the rights to say their record books hold Favre and Rodgers, Starr and Tobin Rote, a two time pro-bowler and first team all pro. And what about Lynn Dickey? He made a contender of the club.
There was Don Majkowski, who threw for 27 TDs, 4,318 yards, and a 10-6 record in 1990, only to tear a rotator cuff, from which he would never recover. From the first half of the last century, Arnie Herber makes the list, as top passer in the NFL in 1932. He threw for 639 yards, 9 touchdowns, and then came Don Hutson. In 1936, the two combined to rewrite the record books, with a 10-0-1 record that year, winning the NFL championship. Arnie was inducted in 1966 to the NFL Hall of Fame.
Sunday, Sept. 14, 2014 marked more than the day the 2014 version of the Green Bay Packers answered the wakeup call on offense and defense, it was one of new milestones for the offensive star of the show, number 12, Aaron Rodgers.
Of the very best Packers quarterbacks during the team’s 94-year history in the NFL, Aaron Rodgers moved up a spot beyond Bart Starr. We are talking top shelf here, Starr being a legend from the Lombardi era, storied with tales often too far above the rest to seem believable.
Aaron Rodgers has led the Packers to several division title and one league championship.
Raymond T. Rivard photograph
Passing up an all-time great in Career Passing yards, is considered a ‘great’ feat. Today, the record book stands still, but not for long. Next week, and the next week the numbers keep going up for one Aaron Rodgers, who stands at 24,732 through the Jets game Sept. 14.
Anyone who passes Bart Starr on “Career Passing Yardage,” can and should be considered “great.” During the 1960s, teams played 14 games per year, in comparison to 16 games in recent times.
Two more games is is like an extra season over an eight-year period. Still Aaron Rodgers, having the most difficult position on a Mike McCarthy’s high scoring offense, he has more responsibilities as a “team chemistry instructor” helping in his management of some high-strung personalities.
Congratulations to Aaron Rodgers, who now stands among the greatest of the Green Bay Packers, with only six seasons and two games this year as starting quarterback. Of his 8 NFL years, three seasons were as backup, behind Brett Favre. Aaron Rodgers now sits among the very best, ever.
Stay tuned, there is more to come.