DETROIT – Aaron Rodgers analyzed Jared Goff and even gave him a new nickname after the Detroit Lions beat his former team, the Packers.
Rodgers joined the Pat McAfee Show on ESPN and talked about watching the Lions-Packers game while his New York Jets were on bye.
He said Goff was “definitely written off” at the time of the Matthew Stafford trade.
“It was, ’Oh, the Lions gave up a franchise quarterback for Jared Goff,‘“ Rodgers said. ”I mean, that’s what the sentiment was. ... But what he’s done is nothing less than sensational."
Goff has been one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the NFL this season, completing 74.9% of his pass attempts for an average of 8.7 yards. He’s thrown 14 touchdowns and four picks.
On Sunday, he threw for 145 yards and a touchdown on 18-of-22 passing against the Packers.
“He had four straight games of not throwing an incompletion in the first half or something stupid like that,” Rodgers said. “It’s bananas.”
Rodgers said some credit has to go to offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and the talented players around Goff, but he wants to make sure the quarterback gets his due.
“Please give credit to this man,” Rodgers said. “This is not easy, and being that efficient is a testament for any quarterback, young or old. He’s throwing the ball downfield accurately, but he’s being really smart with the football.”
He even offered up a new nickname -- a nod to Goff wearing two gloves in the rainy conditions at Lambeau Field. Goff has a reputation for struggling in outdoor games, but that didn’t seem to bother him at all this weekend.
“Mr. Two Gloves there, he was just business as usual, wasn’t he?” Rodgers asked.
“We’ve all got to give him the credit he deserves, because the dude’s been dialing it up. Yeah, he’s got some weapons, and yeah, the line’s really good, and two good backs. But this dude has been on fire, and he should be in the MVP consideration.”
Lions fans won‘t soon forget Rodgers, who spent 18 seasons torturing them as Green Bay’s starter. In 26 career games against Detroit, Rodgers is 18-8 with 6,551 passing yards, 54 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.
But the Lions got the last laugh in January 2023, when they went into Lambeau the final week of the regular season and beat the Packers to eliminate them from the playoffs. That ended Rodgers' Hall-of-Fame run in Green Bay.
Rodgers and Goff obviously have the connection of being first-round quarterbacks from Cal. Rodgers was drafted 24th in 2005, and Goff went first overall in 2016.
Rodgers already has four MVPs and a Super Bowl under his belt, but maybe it’s time for Goff to start adding to his trophy case.
