Aaron Rodgers’ former Packers teammate showed how ridiculous C.J. Stroud’s take on the Jets QB was
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud made headlines this week for his critical comments regarding New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The 2023 Offensive Rookie of the Year claimed he would rather have Eli Manning’s career than Rodgers, and he also claimed that Matthew Stafford would have won more championships than Rodgers if placed in the same situations with Green Bay.
Speaking on “The Herd,” Rodgers’ former Packers teammate, wide receiver James Jones, explained why Stroud’s comments were so ridiculous.
“Look at this graphic,” said Jones as a side-by-side comparison of Rodgers and Manning is shown on the screen. “Now, I know C.J. is talking and he’s on a podcast, but I’m sure if C.J. [had] seen this graphic, he would change his attitude, because this is absolutely crazy. You have a guy that is going to walk into the Hall of Fame and arguably a guy that has won two Super Bowl rings that people go like, ‘Should he get in?”
.@89JonesNTAF takes issue with @CJ7STROUD saying he’d take Eli Manning’s career over Aaron Rodgers’
“I’m sure if C.J. had seen this graphic, he would change his answer.” pic.twitter.com/er97oEjG1L
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) June 4, 2024
For many fans, this is the biggest problem with Stroud’s comparison of Rodgers. Manning was average throughout his career. And while he was able to remain the face of one franchise throughout the duration of his NFL career, there were plenty of moments between those Super Bowl victories where many Giants fans contemplated replacing him as the signal caller. The same can’t be said about Rodgers during his tenure with the Packers. The “one ring” argument also gets ridiculous, as Jones points out that it leads to absurd examples of selecting less talented players based on rings rather than NFL talent.
“When we talk about a career, you’re talking about a Super Bowl champion, a four-time MVP,” continued Jones. “We can recognize and see the numbers on this screen. So basically what C.J. Stroud is telling me is, give me Trent Dilfer over Dan Marino because he’s got one more Super Bowl ring. Or give me Joe Flacco over Dan Marino. We’re talking crazy. Like, if we’re truly watching the NFL game, and I know C.J. is a student of the NFL game – that is why he’s so good. With all due respect to my guy Eli Manning, we cannot even say the name Aaron Rodgers in that sentence.”
It’s hard to disagree with Jones’ take, even if he could be slightly biased towards his former teammate. After all, Rodgers is second only to Eli’s brother (Peyton Manning) in NFL MVP selections. And, regardless of whether the current Jets quarterback has multiple championships, he has still hoisted the Lombardi Trophy. And unlike Eli, Rodgers still has the opportunity to secure another championship before his career is over.
If he’s able to bring a title to the Jets, Rodgers will cement himself as an all-time great.
