Former Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is available once again. His tenure in New York can only be described as a failure, which the most reasonable amongst us saw coming given, ya know, it's the Jets. What more could Rodgers expect from a franchise that has barely sniffed Super Bowl glory since the days of Joe Namath?
Rodgers is expected to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers this time around, assuming he doesn't retire. At 41 years old, there's little Rodgers can add to the Steelers passing attack that they didn't already have with a subpar Russell Wilson last season. But, based on the slim chance he's even slightly better than Wilson, Mike Tomlin is willing to wait. The quarterback market was weak to begin with this offseason, and the Steelers drew the short straw in Rodgers, a QB Tomlin has always had a metaphorical crush on.
Aaron Rodgers wants the culture he left behind in Green Bay
As Rodgers finalizes his decision, he does have one issue weighing on his mind. Rodgers wants to play for a team that has a similar culture to the team he left behind in Green Bay. Yes, I am serious. Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer reported on Rodgers nostalgia:
"I’ve heard Rodgers is looking for a culture such as the one in Green Bay," Breer wrote. "I get it if that sounds a little strange after the drama of the four-time MVP’s final years as a Packer. But over the past few months, Rodgers has been open with people around him on his renewed appreciation for what he had for 18 seasons in Wisconsin."
Rodgers has a point in that he did have it good through his first 18 years. Nothing will make a player nostalgic like playing for the Jets, and Rodgers had a rough go of it in his two seasons in New York. What surely seemed like a normal two seasons for Jets fans were the worst of Rodgers career. Not only did his miss an entire season due to injury, but he was at the center of constant drama and locker room turmoil. His head coach got fired. Woody Johnson's kids tormented the premises. The list goes on and on.
Aaron Rodgers best bet at Packers-type culture is in Pittsburgh
Again – this is just life as a member of the New York Jets, but it's a reminder of why Rodgers shouldn't have left Green Bay in the first place.
The Packers won the Rodgers trade and it's not really all that close. Jordan Love looks like he could be the real deal, and Matt LaFleur is one of the best coaches in the NFC. Rodgers wants what he left behind, but that won't be easy to find. The Packers have featured three primary starting quarterbacks in the last 25 years, if not more. Most teams can't offer that sort of stability, minus the Steelers head coaching situation.
Rodgers is learning a valuable lesson: You don't know what you got til it's gone.