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Aaron Rodgers has had one of the most brilliant careers of any NFL quarterback, and while the last two years with the New York Jets have not added to his legacy, his previous achievements with the Green Bay Packers ensure that his overall place in history is intact. Former Packers star linebacker Clay Matthews compared Rodgers and his demand for greatness from his teammates to the late Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant.
The dynamic basketball player died in a tragic helicopter accident in 2020. Bryant was known for pushing his teammates hard in addition to his own achievements on the basketball court. Matthews said that Rodgers had the same kind of personality during his prime years with the Packers.
The former Packer played with Rodgers from 2009 through 2019 before concluding his career with the Los Angeles Rams in 2020. Matthews is a six-time Pro Bowler and also a first-team All-Pro. He was part of a Super Bowl-winning team with Rodgers and the Packers.
He was a guest on the Dan Patrick show Friday and spoke about Rodgers’ desire to win and get the most out of himself and his teammates.
“He’s always been different,” Matthews said. “I’ve always said, you compare him to some of these other quarterbacks, I’m going to call them the rah, rah guys and I don’t mean that in a negative way. You know leaders of team, who bring the huddle together. The Drew Brees, Payton Manning types. I always compared him growing up in LA to Kobe.
“If you wanted to be great and you wanted to be better you would gravitate towards him and he would bring you in. That’s why you saw the relationships he had with Jordy Nelson, Davante Adams, Greg Jennings, they were elite at the time.”
Rodgers played a full season with the New York Jets in 2024 after missing the previous season due to an Achilles injury.
The quarterback completed 368 of 584 passes for 3,897 yards with 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 2024. While those numbers were solid, the Jets were a 5-12 team when much more was expected.
The Jets hired former Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn as their head coach, but it’s not known if the Jets would like to have Rodgers as their QB1 for the upcoming season.
Rodgers may want to play his 21st season in the NFL, but the 41-year-old has not announced what his plans are for 2025.
Rodgers is a 10-time Pro Bowler and a 4-time All-Pro. He has also won the MVP award four times and he was the MVP of Super Bowl XLV when the Packers defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers by a 31-25 margin.
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