The Jets’ Aaron Rodgers has won seven straight starts and owns a 14-6 career record against rookie quarterbacks. But Bo Nix of the Broncos is not Jake Luton or David Blough.
Against rookies drafted in the first round, Rodgers over that seven-game streak has beaten Justin Fields twice in 2021 (he trolled Bears fans on the Pat McAfee Show Tuesday), Daniel Jones and the late Dwayne Haskins in 2019, and even the Jets’ Sam Darnold in 2018. However, three weeks before defeating Darnold, Rodgers lost to Josh Rosen.
Nix, who will be 24 years, seven months and five days old on Sunday, makes his fourth NFL start for Denver (1-2) against the Jets (2-1) at MetLife Stadium (1 p.m. ET, CBS). When Rodgers made his fourth NFL start 16 years ago this week on Sept. 28, 2008, he was 24 years, nine months and 28 days old.
It’s a captivating concept, Rodgers against rookies, because Rodgers himself never had the opportunity to start as a rookie. He’s never regretted it, either, elaborating on something Greg Cosell said last week. As Rodgers told Pat McAfee Tuesday, rookies have a big adjustment.
“As far as quarterback play goes,” said Rodgers, who sat from 2005-07 behind Brett Favre, “these guys are going to have to learn how to call a cadence. They have to learn how to play under center. Reading a defense under center is different.”
Nix is different, too. Not only is the 24-year-old more mature and experienced than typical rookies, he also showed dramatic improvement in his first NFL last week at Tampa Bay. After seeming to struggle with that cadence – validating what Rodgers told McAfee — Nix connected on 25 of 36 attempts for a season-best 69.4 completion percentage with no interceptions. He also got a big assist from his defense in helping the Broncos become the NFL’s first 0-2 team in four years to win a road game against an undefeated opponent.
Still, Rodgers believes Nix or any young quarterback would benefit from a college-to-NFL respite, even if it’s only 15 games, such as Patrick Mahomes sitting behind Alex Smith in 2017.
“There is a transition,” Rodgers said, “and that’s why I think it’s important a lot of these guys sit if they are not NFL ready just yet. And I’ve said this before: Top picks going to teams picking high are not one player away, usually.”