19 July 2023 , 21:07
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The New York Jets have been told that Aaron Rodgers has “declined a little” by an NFL scout - who reckons people are "afraid" to make that statement.
The Jets are preparing for their first season with Rodgers as their starting quarterback. The 39-year-old was traded to New York from the Green Bay Packers following an 18-year career he forged in Wisconsin.
Rodgers has won four NFL MVP awards over the course of his illustrious career, which began when he was drafted with the No.24 overall pick in the 2005 draft. The quarterback won the Super Bowl with the Packers in 2011 but has not won a championship for more than 12 years since then.
Signing for the Jets marks the first time that Rodgers will have played for a team in the AFC in his career. Having spent the previous 18 years in the NFC North, the veteran QB will be competing with the Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins and the New England Patriots in the AFC East.
However, it seems that despite the Jets’ determination to bring Rodgers to the franchise early in the off-season, the quarterback has not convinced everyone. A report from ESPN has an interview with a scout from an unnamed AFC team.
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The article ranks every quarterback across the NFL. Rodgers places fourth on the list, and the unnamed NFL scout has made a claim about the Jets QB.
"I think everyone is afraid to say he's declined a little," the scout is quoted as saying. "He's still a great thrower and sees it really well, but he's more like [ranked] eight to 12 for me."
Despite this assessment, a further comment from an executive from an unnamed AFC team explains Rodgers will still be able to make an impact after spending more time adjusting to playing with the Jets.
Aaron Rodgers has attended the first day of training camp with the New York Jets (Rich Schultz/Getty Images)"If you watch his tape, he still makes some beautiful throws," the AFC executive said. "It's hard when you don't have comfort level with receivers. That's probably undervalued that people don't necessarily take into account.
“It's not instant-make orange juice. You could see chemistry and timing was off early on. He might not have the same mobility to run, but he will have upgrades with the Jets' offense and will take advantage."
Rodgers and the rest of the Jets roster reported for the first day of training camp on July 19. The veteran quarterback will begin work ahead of a busy pre-season schedule before the competition games begin.
The Jets have four pre-season games, including the Hall of Fame game against the Cleveland Browns. There will also be games against the Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Giants before the Week One opener versus the Bills.