Aaron Rodgers continues to have fans within NFL circles, including players who would love the four-time NFL MVP to sling passes for their club.
Count Las Vegas Raiders star pass rusher Maxx Crosby as one who'd love to see Rodgers lead his team. During Tuesday's episode of "The Rush with Maxx Crosby" podcast, the defensive end defended the 41-year-old quarterback's play last season, noting the Achilles injury from 2023 played a role in his disappointing 2024.
"First year after an Achilles is one of the hardest things to do," Crosby said. "I think with all the doubt, all the negativity around Aaron Rodgers, 'Oh, he needs to retire,' things like that, he's getting cut by the Jets, I think he's going to come back and have a -- I know he's 42 or 41, but I think he's going to have a big year this year, and I hope it's in our town. That would be legendary."
It's not wrongheaded to believe the further a player gets from injury, the better he will perform. Newly paid running back Saquon Barkley is a great example of a player who took more than a year to fully return to form from a devastating knee injury in 2020. One issue with the Rodgers situation is we're talking about a 40-plus-year-old, not a 23-year-old or even a 34-year-old. Age heals differently.
Rodgers looked more mobile at times later last season, giving credence to Crosby's argument. However, he still played like a QB who wanted to avoid getting hit at all costs, struggled to push the ball down the field, and never seemed genuinely comfortable. His "oh my goodness" throws that became almost routine in Green Bay were few and very far between in New York.
Even if he's on the 18th hole of his NFL career, it likely won't stop someone from seeing if Rodgers can eke out one more birdie before he heads to Canton.
"I think this year, fully healthy, full offseason, my prediction is he's going to have a great year," Crosby said.
The Raiders chased Matthew Stafford to no avail. Rodgers could be the next player Pete Carroll's club turns to for a veteran answer this offseason. With somewhat uninspiring options hitting the market, someone will likely give the quadragenarian a shot -- so long as he doesn't simply retreat into the darkness of retirement.
