Once upon a time, former Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was a top-five fantasy option at quarterback. But a free agency move to the New York Jets, a season-ending injury four plays into his first game, and a lackluster return this season have Rodger’s fantasy managers questioning his value.
Is Aaron Rodgers Irrelevant As A Fantasy Quarterback?
In 2020, as the Green Bay Packers quarterback, Rodgers earned 383.3 fantasy points in 16 games. That translated to 24.0 points per game with 48 touchdowns and five interceptions that season. By comparison, in five games in 2024, Rodgers has 68.12 points or 13.6 points per game with five touchdowns and four interceptions.
Aaron Rodgers 2024 Fantasy Stats
Rodgers was held under 200 passing yards in his first two games. His best game this season came against the New England Patriots and the only game where he surpassed 20 points. His performance that day was solid. Rodgers was 27 of 35 for 281 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.
But that was only one out of five games. In the other four games, he was held to 8.58 points against San Francisco, 15.14 points against Tennessee, 11.6 points against Denver, where he rushed five times for 26 yards, and 11.76 points last week against Minnesota. In the game last week against the Vikings, Rodgers completed 29/54 passes for 244 yards which was a dismal 53.7 percent. He had two touchdowns in that game but he was gouged for two interceptions, including a brilliant pick-six by the Vikings’ Andrew Von Ginkle that he returned 63 yards for the score.
Age And Injuries
Fantasy managers relying on Rodgers as their starting quarterback are dismayed that in four of five games, he hasn’t even earned 12 points. Currently, Rodgers is ranked the number 19 quarterback and 30 overall in the NFL. These are not the quarterback rankings that win Fantasy League championships. Is Rodgers irrelevant as a fantasy quarterback?
In the game against the Broncos where Rodgers passed 24 of 42 for 225 yards, he added 26 rushing yards on five carries. But the effort left the almost 42-year-old veteran bruised and limping by the end of the game from the relentless pursuit of the Denver defense. It’s important to remember that Rodgers is still rehabbing from his injury and may not recover as quickly as a more youthful athlete. With such notable exceptions such as Tom Brady and Joe Flacco, typically the older a quarterback is, the longer it takes to rehabilitate.
Flacco is a perfect example of an older veteran quarterback who is enjoying a renaissance in his career. Filling in for the injured Anthony Richardson Flacco led the Indianapolis Colts against a hard-fought 37-34 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. Just shy of his 40th birthday, Flacco completed 33 of 44 passes with three touchdowns and no interceptions. He added another 22 rushing yards on three carries.
Ego
Rodgers’ injury status and age aren’t the only disturbing factors surrounding his performance this season. Rodgers can be a divisive presence on the team. His lack of leadership and diva personality in skipping out on minicamp this season does not set a good example for younger players.
On October 8th, the Jets shocked the NFL by firing head coach Robert Saleh five games into the 2024 season. Despite Saleh’s success at building the Jets’ defense into one of the best in the NFL, Saleh got the boot and was the scapegoat for Rodgers’ poor performance this season.
What Fantasy Managers Can Do
Heading into week 6, after the bruising 10-7 loss to the Vikings, Rodgers currently has an ankle injury designation and is listed as questionable. While Rodgers is fully expected to play in the crucial division game against the Buffalo Bills, he may not be at 100%.
For fantasy managers looking to rebound from Rodgers, Bo Nix is starting to come into his own and would be a good option if available on the waiver wire. Assuming that Richardson is once again unavailable for the Colts, Flacco is another solid option.
As for long-suffering Jets fans, their best hope of resurrecting the season may lie with former UFL league MVP quarterback Adrian Martinez who is currently on the Jets practice squad and was elevated to active status last week for the game against the Vikings.
