Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has arguably been the NFL’s best quarterback the past few seasons. Two MVP awards in a row can help a Rodgers defender back up that notion. Rodgers will have a chance to prove how great he is once again this season.
The Packers are without their 2021 leading wide receiver, Davante Adams, who was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders. With Rodgers working with a motley crew of wide receivers, including two green rookies, the future Hall of Fame quarterback will have to use his top-tier talent to keep the offense moving the ball. Rodgers’ efforts on the Packers do not go unnoticed.
Recently, FiveThirtyEight released its quarterback rankings for the 2022 NFL season. Rodgers, as expected, placed high on the list. The site based its model on “Elo” points:
"The top quarterbacks for each team and their value in Elo points, which are used in our quarterback-adjusted model. Our ratings are a rolling average of recent performances and incorporate both passing and running. Initial rookie ratings are based on draft position; undrafted rookies begin their careers with an Elo value of zero, while a first overall draft pick starts with an Elo value of 113."
Rodgers finished third by those metrics.
Take what you will from the rankings. They start to lose their reliability after the top 10.
Rodgers' third-place ranking places him right above Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady. Brady had a great season in 2021 but couldn’t match the feats that Rodgers did to win the MVP. Those two quarterbacks are likely to meet in the playoffs. It could come down to a Brady-Rodgers duel for which team goes to the Super Bowl.
Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen also deserve to be high on the list. Those two quarterbacks played in one of the best back-and-forth matchups by two quarterbacks in the playoffs. Rodgers will have the chance to surpass those two on the list if he can win a Super Bowl with this year’s team.
More must-reads: