New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers guested on Tuesday’s episode of “The Pat McAfee Show,” discussing some of the challenges rookie quarterbacks face in the NFL, including being thrust into the starting lineup.
Referring to Bryce Young, who the Carolina Panthers benched in favor of Andy Dalton, Rodgers said that the young quarterback needs to be given more time in order to fully develop as a starter.
“Think if Peyton Manning had been playing in 2024, his rookie year, think about the overreactions that would have happened with that. I think you gotta give a guy like Bryce Young some time whether it’s in that system or another system,” the four-time NFL MVP told McAfee and company.
“It takes time and you get to place this mantle on you to be this savior for a team. It’s usually not very good at their pick and it’s usually not one player away,” Rodgers added.
Case in point, Peyton Manning had a rather tough start in his rookie year, tallying a 3-13 record and 28 interceptions—the most by a rookie in the league’s history. However, he reversed that record the following year, going 13-3 with the Indianapolis Colts.
The Panthers made an expensive trade with the Chicago Bears in 2023 to acquire the first overall draft pick of that year, hoping that it would address their quarterback woes. They acquired Young as the first overall pick, but when it was time to play, the young quarterback struggled to mesh with the team, landing the Panthers in the bottom of the league that season. They took another chance at him earlier this season, but ultimately decided to go the other way.
“Most of us need to take some time, and whether we have the time to do that as a backup, that’s the best way. You have to have an owner who’s patient and trusts the process,” said Rodgers, suggesting how the Panthers could get out of their predicament. “And you have to have a team that continues to build and get better and not crush your confidence, as some of those guys dealt with early in their careers.”
Aaron Rodgers himself used to be a backup for Brett Favre. That stint allowed him to transition easily from college football to the professional league.
Aaron Rodgers clarifies issue with Robert Saleh
Aaron Rodgers finally addressed the rumors of discord brewing between him and New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh. The quarterback denied all the negative talks.
“Rob and I have a great relationship. We have since day one, when I got here,” Rodgers said. “You know, we have, you know, text message conversations, threads that were in conversations about a number of different topics outside of football, have a good friendship.”
Rodgers further said that he carries an “I don’t care” attitude as far as what the outside world is saying about him goes.
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