Aaron Rodgers is still looking over his shoulder at Jordan Love years later

In a land of seeing ghosts, Aaron Rodgers might be doing some of that himself. No, this isn't Sam Darnold being completely over his skis running Adam Gase's smelling salt-induced offense. This has everything to do with the pressure Rodgers felt to keep on keeping on while he was leading his previous team, the Green Bay Packers. You best believe the presence of Jordan Love motivated him.

In Jori Epstein's latest for Yahoo Sports, she outlined where Rodgers' head is at entering his second season leading Gang Green. The New York Jets could be a playoff team for the first time in over a decade this season. Of course, that will require Rodgers playing more than one game this year. Having turned 40 years old in December, Rodgers is well aware of his NFL shelf life going forward.

He knows that if he can no longer play that he will get replaced by someone who might be able to.

“As you get older in the league, if you don’t perform, they’re going to get rid of you or bring in the next guy to take over. It happened in Green Bay, and I’m a few years older than I was back then."

Motivation, whether it be internal, external or from wherever, Rodgers has a lot to prove this season.

“I have a lot of motivation, I love the game, I want to play at a high level. I don’t want to go out as a bum. I want to be able to play. That’s why I put the work in and believe in my abilities."

Although Love is starring with his former team, Rodgers needs to prove living well is the best revenge.

Aaron Rodgers enters 2024 NFL season with so much to prove to himself

Rodgers has come to grips with his own mortality in this gladiator sport. He is coming back from a serious lower-body injury. Tearing one's Achilles is never a good thing, and he did this in his first game with a new team in a primetime standalone affair. Talk about quite the fall from grace... Truth be told, I still think he has one more great season left in the tank. We can only hope the Jets don't squander it.

Fate would have it, Love faces a ton of pressure this season. He may want more money, but he has to prove that last year was no fluke. Love played great down the stretch for Green Bay. The Packers seem to have landed their next franchise quarterback. The big question now is if Love will play up to the lofty standard that will merit getting a new contract, somewhere in that sweet $40 million range.

Overall, Rodgers knows what is at stake here. It is Rodgers vs. time. For years, he has delayed the inevitable with Father Time. However, last season was a rude awakening for him in that regard. If his career goes out with a whimper, then that would be awfully sad for one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. Unfortunately, this has often been the case for many hall of famers well before him...

If Rodgers can continue harness that Love breathing down his back injury, then more power to him.