Aaron Rodgers left the game vs the Eagles in the 3rd quarter after a valiant effort due to an injury. This gave Jordan Love, the yet to be proven backup quarterback a chance to show what he has, and he put on an interesting performance. Jordan Love in just 1 quarter of play put up 6 of 9 for 119 yards , and 1 touchdown and led his team down the field for a field goal. Now this may not sound impressive, but he put up the same numbers Aaron Rodgers did in just 2 drives. Aaron Rodgers was cleared to play this sunday vs the Chicago Bears, so this brings up an interesting question, should the Packers start Jordan Love. The simple answer is no, they should not start Jordan Love unless they absolutely have to.
Aaron got dealt a bad hand
A lot of fans are quick to put the blame of a lackluster offense on Rodgers himself, but they tend to be blinded by all the cons he’s had to face throughout this season. For one, he’s been playing with a broken thumb since week 3, which is on his throwing hand, and has recently had an injury to his ribs in his most recent game. But the injuries haven’t been the only thing holding him back, his surrounding cast has also been a problem as well. We knew coming in that Rodgers was going to need time to get adjusted to his new cast of receivers, and it’s been evident that he will need more time with them. Throughout this season, the receivers have shown flashes of brilliance, but there have been more negatives than positives. The receivers have had a hard time getting open, which forces Rodgers into bad spots such as 3rd and longs, or even worse, 4th downs. He’s had to hold onto the ball longer, which is uncommon considering what he was doing less then a year ago. Overall, Aaron Rodgers was thrown into a horrible situation regarding his surrounding cast and the effects of that are starting to surface. It’s hard to believe that after back to back MVP seasons where he was dominant, that he would all of a sudden become washed.
Why we should keep Aaron Rodgers in the starting lineup
Aaron Rodgers can still play at a high level despite the talent surrounding him, and he should finish the season as a starter. Rodgers when his receivers can get open, even with a broken thumb, has shown flashes of the brilliance we all remember he has. If the Packers ever do decide to bench Rodgers, it would most likely be the end of the Rodgers-Packers era. Benching him, not knowing if maybe another year with his receiving group would help his level of production, would prove to be a huge mistake. Packers fans need to have faith and remember what Rodgers has done for the organization and enjoy the time we have with him at the helm, because we never know when it might be his last game.
