Aaron Rodgers is one of the most talented quarterbacks in the history of the NFL. He is a person of planning and thinking and has a well-developed business mindset that has taken him to amazing heights.
Rodgers began his college football career at Butte College in 2002[1] before transferring to the University of California, Berkeley to play for the California Golden Bears,
After being drafted by the Green Bay Packers as the 24th overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft, the four-time MVP quickly went on to show exactly what a modern NFL quarterback should be, and what they can accomplish in the league.
His impressive athleticism, drive, and determination in addition to his business acumen off the field have immortalized Rodgers as one of the most successful quarterbacks in NFL history.
Let’s dive right in.
Contents
1. An Impressive 2011 Season
Rodgers’ 2011 season might be the best season ever played by a quarterback. This is based on his quarterback rating which is a formula that the NFL began using in 1973.
To highlight just how great this season was, Rodgers managed to set a new record for the highest NFL quarterback passer rating with 122.5 over 4,643 yards. His current career rating of 104.5 is the third highest in the NFL.
In the regular 2011 season, Rodgers also led the Packers to a 15-1 record while throwing 45 touchdowns with only six interceptions. He also completed 68.3% of his total passes. It’s no wonder this season ranks so highly, especially for Rodgers!
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2. Super Bowl XLV
Every footballer wants to check off a Super Bowl win at some point during their career. Fortunately, Aaron Rodgers managed to do just that in February 2011.
Rodgers completed 24 out of his 39 pass attempts for 303 yards and a total of three touchdowns. On his way to becoming a Super Bowl champion, he also earned the accolade of Super Bowl MVP.
Being such a fierce competitor, Rodgers likely has a goal to win the Super Bowl every single season. This is no different than any other football player currently in the league. However, he has not made it back to the Super Bowl with the Packers since this first appearance.
Although one Super Bowl win is an excellent career accomplishment, Aaron Rodgers is in the prime of his career. His impressive abilities help to put the Packers in the running every season, which is something any fan can respect and appreciate.
3. Four-time MVP winner
Being a four-time MVP winner is another one of Aaron Rodgers’ greatest career accomplishments.
During the first two occasions where he received this award — during the 2011 and 2014 seasons — Rodgers was remarked as the greatest overall NFL quarterback in terms of his performance.
His exceptional 2011 season will be remembered as one of the best in NFL history, while his remarkable 2014 season saw Rodgers lead his team through many obstacles. He played incredibly efficiently in both seasons.
After racking up two more back-to-back MVP awards in 2020 and 2021 with the Green Bay Packers, Rodgers became only the second player since the 1957 inception of the award to win it more than three times!
Rodgers may have even more MVP-level seasons before the very end of his career due to his sheer talent.
As a result, Rodgers is very much on-track to immortalizing his legendary quarterback status in the Green Bay Packers franchise and the NFL in general.
4. Pro Bowls and All-Pro Teams
In total, Aaron Rodgers has attended the Pro Bowl ten times.
The 2009 NFL season was a bit of a questionable period for the Green Bay Packers as they had finished at 6-10 in the 2008 season and weren’t in the best possible position. This was Rodgers’ first-ever season as a starter.
Rodgers eventually led the Packers to an 11-5 record in 2009 which set the stage for everything that was to come in Packers’ playing history. So it may come as no surprise that he was invited to the Pro Bowl this same season.
His other Pro Bowl selections include the following seasons: 2011, 2012, 2014-16, and 2018-21.
Rodgers has also been an All-Pro first-team selection four times in his career in 2011, 2014, 2020, and 2021. This means that he was selected as the greatest league-wide player in his respected position throughout each of these seasons.
With four Pro Bowls and two first-team All-Pro selections, Rodgers has proven that he is truly among the NFL’s most elite.
5. Three Career Hail Mary Passes
Aaron Rodgers has completed The Hail Mary pass, one of the most difficult plays in the NFL, three times throughout his career.
- The 2015 Miracle in Motown game was a shining moment for the Green Bay Packers as they defeated the Detroit Lions. The Packers were down 23-21 when Rodgers made this game-winning play to Packers tight end Richard Rodgers to obtain a 27-23 win. This victory was the fourth-largest Packers comeback in franchise history.
- Rodgers made the play for a second time during this same season in a playoff game against the Arizona Cardinals. Here, the Packers were down 20-13 with only one opportunity to tie the game. Rodgers located wide receiver Jeff Janis in the end zone and sent the game into overtime.
- Rodgers completed another Hail Mary during the 2017 playoff game against the New York Giants. With the Packers up by 7-6, they needed to add another touchdown to boost momentum. Depending on the Hail Mary pass proved to be a success as Rodgers located Randall Cobb in the end zone.
Final Thoughts
Aaron Rodgers is one of the most talented NFL quarterbacks. This is proven by his incredible track record and his many accolades. It’s safe to assume that, along with the likes of Aaron Donald and Tom Brady, he is locked in for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the future.
