NFL Insiders: Has The Game Passed Aaron Rodgers By?

NFL experts have begun to question whether the game has passed Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers by, according to published reports.

“The game changes so fast these days,” an unnamed NFC offensive coordinator told the Dissociated Press. “Rodgers was clearly distracted during the recent controversy over whether Brett Favre would return to the Packers. Although Rodgers got the job, a lot of people in the League think he missed so much during that week that he really can’t get a handle on the modern game.”

Favre, 38, came out of retirement just before training camp and caused the Packers to spend valuable hours and minutes focused on arranging a trade for Favre instead of keeping Rodgers updated on the latest changes in football strategy.

“The Monday that the Packers were negotiating with the Vikings [over a deal for Favre],” the unnamed NFC offensive coordinator said, “most of the teams in the NFL moved from a cover-2 to a Flex-3.

“And by the time Tuesday rolled around, the NFL teams had abandoned the Flex-3 for a nickel package that utilizes a shotgun along with a formation not unlike a medieval trebuchet. Where was Aaron Rodgers that whole time? In a bar, drinking Rolling Rock, waiting for the Packers to make up their mind.”

Rodgers had been named the quarterback to replace the legendary Favre, who retired at the end of last season.

“So the Packers finally made up their minds and shipped Favre to the Jets,” the unnamed NFC offensive coordinator explained. “But by then, the League had moved away from the shotgun/trebuchet formation and toward a cover-flex-rollout with two down linemen and two guys in the secondary waving those big ‘We’re Number One’ oversized foam fingers on their hands, inciting the crowd.

“That’s how the game evolved while Rodgers was sitting drinking brewskies,” the unnamed offensive coordinator concluded. “He was really out of the loop when all these important changes took place. So I think it’s fair to say that the game may well have passed Rodgers by.

“It’s nothing personal, but he was just away from the NFL game for too long. He’s a good kid, but if I’m Green Bay, I’m looking around for a cell phone number for Vinny Testaverde or maybe Randall Cunningham. I hear Namath isn’t busy these days. That’s the direction most people think the organization has to take, if they're going to compete in the modern NFL.”