As a real, non-PhotoShopped image of Aaron Rodgers in his new Jets uniform made the rounds, reactions were mixed.
Some invoked the Great Gazoo. Others, Mike Dukakis in a tank.
One inescapable observation is this — Rodgers looks really skinny.
As Chris Simms always says on PFT Live, quarterbacks benefit from the suit of armor made up of body mass. The extra weight helps them withstand the bumps and bruises for football season.
But there’s a balance between being sturdy and being mobile. Often, older players play at a lighter weight in order to enhance their speed. For Rodgers, who suffered a calf strain during offseason workouts, the display of speed could cause other soft-tissue injuries.
It’s a reality of pushing 40. For guys like Tom Brady, who even at his fastest looked like he was filmed in slow motion, the stress on the muscles and ligaments and tendons wasn’t the same as it will be for Rodgers, who has the ability to generate plenty of speed and acceleration — and in turn to put plenty of stress on aging body parts.
For every quarterback, health is the key. Rodgers missed significant chunks of the 2013 and 2017 seasons with collarbone injuries. He has had calf issues.
He’s now closing in on 40. Now many quarterbacks have continued to play at a high level beyond that age. Rodgers will try to be the exception this year, and apparently next year, for the Jets.