Aaron Rodgers might be a four-time NFL MVP, but not everyone’s buying that hype anymore. Fresh off a rough stint with the New York Jets, Rodgers’ future is stirring up more doubt than excitement.
One former Philadelphia Eagles linebacker isn’t mincing words, throwing serious shade at teams thinking about signing him. The argument: Teams seem to play better without Rodgers than with him.
Emmanuel Acho Questions Aaron Rodgers’ Impact
Emmanuel Acho isn’t buying into a Rodgers resurgence. On FS1’s “The Facility,” the ex-Eagles linebacker didn’t hold back, claiming that “a good team can’t want Aaron Rodgers.”
Acho’s reasoning digs deeper than just Rodgers’ résumé.
He pointed to the Green Bay Packers and Jets — two teams that, according to Acho, have thrived more without Rodgers than with him.
“A good team can’t want Aaron Rodgers because teams are better, as of late, without Aaron Rodgers than they are with Aaron Rodgers,” Acho said. “The Packers were better once Rodgers left, people, than they were when Aaron Rodgers was present. … The Jets were better without Aaron Rodgers than they were when Aaron Rodgers was present.”
He continued, saying, “I’m not so ignorant as to sit up here and say ‘It’s all on Aaron Rodgers’ … but what I will say is this: With the three-year sample size, I can’t say that it is coincidence.”
“A good team can’t want Aaron Rodgers, because teams are better as of late without Rodgers than they are with Aaron Rodgers.”
— @EmmanuelAcho pic.twitter.com/mtzIWfKUtm
— The Facility (@TheFacilityFS1) February 24, 2025
Well, let’s evaluate. Take Green Bay — after Rodgers’ departure, Jordan Love led the team to a playoff berth, proving the post-Rodgers era isn’t all doom and gloom.
Then there’s the Jets — while Rodgers’ season-ending injury in 2023 gave little room to judge, their defense-led wins hinted they might not need him as much as fans thought.
In 2024, Rodgers had a PFSN QB+ grade of 72.2, 21st in the NFL. This was actually an improvement over his last full season in 2022 with the Packers. That year, he graded out at a 68.0 (D+). However, it’s fair to question whether he can ever provide a top-end season again at the age of 41.
Acho’s deeper argument is about patterns, not isolated stats. He raised three big questions: Is it coincidence, causation, or correlation? A three-year sample size covers 51 games, and Acho refuses to believe it’s a fluke that teams seem to perform better when Rodgers isn’t playing.
“I always ask myself in life three questions, people: coincidence, causation, or correlation? Is there a correlation between the fact that the Packers and the Jets were better without Aaron Rodgers than they were with Aaron Rodgers, or is it purely a coincidence? … We’re talking roughly 51 games in which teams are better without Aaron Rodgers than they are with Aaron Rodgers. I refuse to believe that’s a coincidence,” Acho concluded.
With declining stats and locker-room concerns lingering, Acho’s skepticism isn’t unwarranted. For teams chasing championships, Rodgers might now be more risk than reward.
Jets’ Breakup With Rodgers Was in Motion Before New Hires
The Jets didn’t just wake up one day and decide to move on from Rodgers. Reportedly, it was brewing long before the offseason headlines exploded. According to NFL insider Josina Anderson, internal talks about cutting ties with the four-time MVP began at least a week before Aaron Glenn and Darren Mougey were brought in as head coach and GM.
“Part of moving forward is being honest about recent history and the future—particularly with and without Aaron Rodgers,” Anderson noted.
“While reports surfaced after the new Jets regime was hired and during Super Bowl week indicating the organization recently leaned away from the return of quarterback Aaron Rodgers — and other details were reported alleging Jets brass conveyed certain stipulations for a reunion involving a TV show — a league source did tell me that there was internal talk regarding desires to move on from Aaron Rodgers at least one week before Aaron Glenn even became head coach and Darren Mougey became general manager of the Jets.”
The Jets’ brass wasn’t just reacting to public pressure; this was a calculated shift from the top down.
While reports during Super Bowl week hinted at the team pulling back from Rodgers, Anderson revealed that preferences were considered even during interviews for the new leadership roles. Yet, the decision seemed inevitable, even long before Glenn and Mougey inked their deals.
This move doesn’t come as a shock. Rodgers’ shaky future has dominated headlines, and now it’s clear: the Jets were ready to move on before the ink dried on their latest hires.