Former Jets linebacker Jonathan Vilma thinks it’s time for Aaron Rodgers to hold up his cleats.
Vilma, now an analyst on Fox’s NFL broadcasts alongside Kenny Albert, expressed an understanding of why Rodgers would need to go on the market and provides it one other go in the course of the 2025 season, however felt that sticking across the sport may affect the best way he’s remembered.
Rodgers, 41, has not been the identical participant he as soon as was throughout his tenure with the Jets because the groups sits at 4-11 after not having the ability to shut out quite a few tight video games within the fourth quarter.
A part of that has been as a result of he suffered a season-ending damage on the primary drive as a Jet final season.
“The fan in me says sure, he ought to retire as a result of I need to keep in mind Aaron Rodgers once I went towards him as among the best quarterbacks ever to play the sport,” Vilma stated in an interview with SportsLens. “I simply keep in mind staying up late at evening, shaking my head as a result of you’ll be able to’t cease him. You’ll be able to gradual him down. You’ll be able to hope he would have an off day. However you couldn’t cease him. And it was probably the most irritating factor as a result of enjoying towards guys like him, Tom Brady in his prime, Drew Brees once I practiced towards him, it’s so irritating since you are actually making an attempt your finest and it’s nonetheless not ok and it’s a must to hope that his finest shouldn’t be there that day with a view to win.
“In order that’s how I need to keep in mind him. I don’t need to keep in mind him as this man who doesn’t seem like himself. Everybody’s saying he doesn’t seem like himself. I don’t know what the problems are, however as a fan, I at all times need to keep in mind the greatness of that man, of that participant. As an athlete being in his sneakers, I’ve had associates, myself the place there’s a part of me that stated – I had my daughter on the time, she was younger, it’s time to maneuver on and get off the prepare, take into consideration household life, hanging out with my daughter, having fun with it, had a fantastic profession.”
Rodgers has been coy about his plans for the long run and whether or not he’ll be a Jet subsequent season — if Gang Inexperienced’s new GM and head coach even need him again.
The longer term Corridor-of-Famer stated throughout his weekly look on “The Pat McAfee Present” that he may see a world the place “they only say, ‘Hey, thanks, we’re going to go in one other course’ on January sixth.”
The Rodgers-led Jets are destined for one more yr with no postseason look and end out the season with video games towards the Payments and Dolphins.
