A New Version of an Old Aaron Rodgers

 

Aaron Rodgers and his Packers are off to a 4-0 start, each win boasting 0 turnovers. He has had the best start of his career through the first 4 games of the season, completing 13 touchdowns. Aaron is showing out at QB, Aaron Jones second in the league rushing yards, and the wins are rolling in despite the temporary loss of key receiver Davante Adams. The Green Bay Packers are looking good.

If you were to tell me this past offseason the Packers would be performing this well, I would've doubted and refuted you severely. As a Packers fan, I was horrified watching my team draft a quarterback and running back in the first two rounds of the draft, positions we have no issues with. The draft commenced with not a single receiver taken. If I was annoyed, I can only imagine how Aaron felt, especially since the first pick was his inevitable replacement.

Was that a bit of motivation for Aaron to bear-down and show-out? Maybe. Could his off-season break-up with former NASCAR driver Danica Patrick be motivating him in his new, single life? I mean, it's possible. Whatever it is, this is a new Aaron Rodgers. And not necessarily in the category of his stats.

Aaron has always been an elite quarterback, despite only pulling in one Vince Lombardi Trophy; it is no coincidence he has the best TD/INT ratio in NFL history having thrown 377 touchdowns, or that opposing teams legitimately have to fear a Hail Mary attempt from him. Sure, his numbers have dropped the past few seasons, but he is showing us this season that he is still able to put on a show that most cannot.

All the numbers aside, Aaron is leading in a way that has not been seen in a long while, if ever; he is encouraging, motivating, happy, and simply having fun. He has typically gotten a reputation for being a poor leader, always projecting the blame onto his teammates, and having a consistent presence of frustration and annoyance. He has a poor relationship with his former head coach, Matthew McCarthy, and would visually overstep him often.

But now, he is seen smiling, laughing, coaching his receivers, lifting the spirits of his team. One particular moment when Aaron displayed his growth and maturity as a leader was during the 37-30 win over the Saints in Week 3. Aaron completed a short pass to rookie tight end, Jace Sternberger. The camera tracked Jace back to the huddle, where Aaron greeted him with some words accompanied by a smile and a high-five. The significance of this action came from the two weeks prior; Week 1, Aaron threw a 3rd down pass to a wide-open Sternberger in a close game against division rivals, the Minnesota Vikings. Sternberger took his eyes off the ball and dropped it in open field, halting the drive. He did not get another target that game. Week 2, a similar event occurred; Sternberger is targeted for a crucial completion, drops it in open space, does not have any more balls thrown his way the rest of the night.

Despite it being a completely different game, Aaron remembered how important it was the his rookie tight end caught this ball, both for the game and for himself. An younger Aaron may have not been this gracious or lighthearted, but we are seeing a new Aaron Rodgers. His stats are beginning to mirror an Aaron Rodgers we knew in the early 2010's, and his leadership and maturity are aspects that we have only yet to witness.