One other Corridor of Fame quarterback is sharing his ideas on Aaron Rodgers. After Peyton Manning gave his opinion over the weekend, former Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino was requested for his tackle Rodgers’ future and potential match with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Marino vouched for Rodgers with one key caveat.
“I nonetheless suppose Aaron has some sport,” Marino instructed 93.7 The Fan’s Joe Starkey Tuesday morning. “He does. He can throw it nearly as good as anyone that ever has thrown the soccer. If his thoughts’s into it and he’s able to go and that works. I don’t suppose it could be a problem with the Steelers.
“However you gotta have somebody that actually desires to play there. And he’s getting older. So I don’t know what his mindset is. However he does nonetheless have expertise.”
Getting previous a nagging knee damage suffered early in 2024, Rodgers performed higher soccer down the stretch of the New York Jets’ season and confirmed he’s nonetheless able to taking part in at a starter-caliber stage. Over his ultimate seven video games, he accomplished 64 p.c of his passes with 13 touchdowns and simply 4 interceptions. Although the Jets received simply two of these video games, the offense scored a good 23 factors per sport.
However as Marino notes and understands as a former quarterback himself, Rodgers needs to be dedicated to make a 2025 season with Pittsburgh work. Set to skip the second week of Steelers OTAs, many have questioned if Rodgers’ coronary heart is into taking part in soccer. He’s somebody not outlined solely by taking part in the sport with pursuits outdoors of soccer.
In his April interview devoted to discussing his future, Rodgers admitted he was uncertain of need to maintain taking part in and floated retirement as a “risk.” Few quarterbacks play into their age-41 season and Rodgers will flip 42 by the top of it. The previous two years of his profession have been essentially the most tough. A torn Achilles in 2023, a five-win season in 2024. Marino can relate. Although a lot youthful when it occurred, he tore his Achilles 5 video games into the 1993 season however returned for 1994, making the Professional Bowl. He performed by means of his age-38 season, struggling and successful solely 5 video games as Rodgers did this previous 12 months with the Jets.
“After taking part in the sport of soccer for many of my life, this was an especially tough resolution,” Marino stated in his retirement speech. “However I do know that I’ve made the precise resolution for me and my household. I’m very happy with the success that we’ve had as a group for 17 years in addition to all my particular person.”
He would later think about provides from a number of groups, together with the Steelers and most severely the Minnesota Vikings, however cited considerations over his legs that prevented him from persevering with his profession. Like Ben Roethlisberger and so many different quarterbacks, it’s the legs that go first. Not the arm.
Finally, Rodgers has to determine if and when he’s prepared to leap all-in. Clearly, that point isn’t now. The query is when – and if – it’ll occur. And if he can keep dedicated all through a complete season, particularly if it doesn’t go the way in which he and the Steelers hope.
