Optimus Prime

Guest Column by Packer Pat

I grew up watching Brett Favre’s career evolve and change, as I was fourteen years old when he arrived in Green Bay.  For the next fifteen plus years I watched closely as his whole career unfolded before my eyes.  The way ups, and the way downs.  And everything in between.  He was as much a personality off the field as he was on the field, and that’s what really made him attractive to the masses. 

Having seen Favre do so, I know what it looks like when a quarterback takes another step in his development.  Against the Denver Broncos, I was in attendance and saw Aaron Rodgers take the next step in his own development.  He went from Star to Superstar.  The only step left is Legend.  Now hear me out!  I’ll be brief, yet persuasive.

Yes, Rodgers won the super bowl and was MVP, and that makes him a star.  Remember, Trent Dilfer and Brad Johnson won super bowls too, and they were stars…briefly.  Winning the super bowl put Rodgers in an elite club, but throwing at an over seventy-percent completion percentage, averaging over three hundred-fifty yards passing and three touchdowns per game is on par with the best season ever.  He also ran for two touchdowns against Denver..

Rodgers has transformed from the slightly arrogant yet talented young quarterback from northern California into the face of the NFL for most of the next decade.  Not a face, The face.  He’s Favre, only better so far, in all areas.  He doesn’t party publicly.  He doesn’t sling mud.  He has the all time highest career QB rating in NFL history (minimum 1500 attempts) and he’s the early odds-on favorite to win his first league MVP award. I watched as he morphed into his prime against Denver and then cemented his prime against Atlanta. While that doesn’t guarantee against bad games, these next five to seven years could bring historic results.  For teams and defensive coordinators that have to face him, he must look like a robot in disguise. 

Packer Pat