Green Bay Packers

The most entertaining question, however, still remains in the frozen north of Green Bay. As some have echoed throughout the offseason: “is Rodgers no longer elite?” The question is more nuanced than one would think, and likely depends on our definition of elite.

Is Rodgers still the epitome of talent in the NFL? No, he is not. That mantle now rests on the shoulders of Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City, and even if the meteoric rise of Mahomes had not come to pass, most with an impartial eye could tell over the past two years that Rodgers is not quite the same player he once was.

However, if our definition of ‘elite’ relates more to a player’s ability to carry an offense and lead a team past the sum of its parts, Rodgers clearly still falls within this category. He is easily still a top-5 quarterback in this league, and some would claim his downtick in production could more accurately be attributed to the team’s lack of receiving talent.

I would challenge that notion by pointing to the emergence of Aaron Jones, the elite production of Davante Adams, and the strong development of the offensive line and defense as points against the “woe is me” mentality for Rodgers. At some point, an all-time performer is expected to carry his team without necessarily having All-Pro talent at every position. I believe Rodgers is still capable of that, but the excuses for him need to end.

This year, however, is the one that will tell us the future for the mercurial passer. The team selected a future franchise cornerstone (they hope) in Jordan Love, and the clock is now ticking for Rodgers. The talent is there for him to succeed, although COVID has already struck one of his new weapons; but despite new receiving acquisition Devin Funchess opting out of the 2020 season, there is still more than enough talent for Rodgers to pull another NFC title out of it.

If he can stay healthy and get any receiving production apart from Adams, this team should have the ability to contend for a title. Look for Rodgers to continue his efficient ways as he keeps turnovers low, but as he continues to age, you can expect a player of his caliber to adapt to his declining capabilities and find ways to win.