Aaron Rodgers is already bracing for NFL media to let false narratives flub its coverage of the playoff showdown between Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson this weekend.
Rodgers made a rare Thursday afternoon appearance on The Pat McAfee Show this week, where he was asked about Sunday’s Buffalo Bills-Baltimore Ravens Divisional Round clash and, more specifically, the Allen-Jackson rivalry. And much like his regular Tuesday appearances, Rodgers took issue with the media while giving his answer.
“This is the problem,” Rodgers said. “And I’m just prognosticating here, but big problem in the football media is, what is gonna happen to the loser of that game?”
McAfee quickly jumped in to say, “Can’t get it done!” Implying the narrative or label around whichever quarterback loses the matchup will end up being a player who is incapable of getting their team over the hump.
“Both guys had incredible seasons,” Rodgers continued. “Incredible seasons. Josh, until the media – which has a big sway – jumped on the Lamar train, which sh*t, I don’t blame them because he had an incredible season too. But it seemed like it was Josh’s MVP to win; he had a phenomenal season and, arguably, the best player in the league. And the other guy who would probably be in the conversation, besides Saquon (Barkley), is Lamar. Just a ho-hum 41 and 4 season for him.
“But again, they both haven’t been to the Super Bowl, which is everybody’s measuring stick for giving somebody some sort of elite status that we have to grobble to receive from the media.”
While part of Rodgers’ issue might stem from personal experiences, with his lone Super Bowl undoubtedly keeping him from the greatest of all-time conversation, the 41-year-old quarterback isn’t wrong. Jackson already has two MVPs and Allen is certainly MVP worthy, even if he doesn’t win it this season. It’s laughable to think either quarterback is incapable of getting to or winning the Super Bowl. But the losing quarterback of this particular game will undoubtedly find themselves in that conversation on debate shows Monday morning.
About Brandon Contes
Brandon Contes is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. He previously helped carve the sports vertical for Mediaite and spent more than three years with Barrett Sports Media. Send tips/comments/complaints to bcontes@thecomeback.com