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Quarterback Aaron Rodgers of the New York Jets warms up prior to a game against the Buffalo Bills last season.
By all accounts, Aaron Rodgers had a dreadful 2024 season with the New York Jets. But Mark Sanchez could find the silver lining, despite his un-Rodgerslike campaign.
The FOX Sports analyst went on the Dan Patrick Show on Thursday and defended Rodgers’ final season with the Jets, and Sanchez shared why he felt Rodgers will be a strong fit for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024.
The Steelers signed Rodgers to an incentive-laden one-year contract after he spent the past two seasons in New York. Rodgers famously tore his Achilles tendon after four snaps in 2023 then completed just 63.0 percent of passes and 28 touchdowns while throwing for 3,897 yards while the Jets went 5-12 in 2024.
What Did Mark Sanchez Say About Aaron Rodgers’ 2024 Season?
Sanchez is part of the quarterback union, but he swore he wasn’t biased while vouching for Rodgers’ most recent campaign.
“I’m not like the president of the Aaron Rodgers fan club or anything,” Sanchez said. “But that guy played his a– off.”
Rodgers finished with the third-most interceptions (11) of his two-decade NFL career last season, yet Sanchez also pointed out how well Rodgers played over New York’s final 10 games. Although the Jets went 3-7 in that span, Rodgers threw 18 touchdowns and just for INTs over that span.
New York went 3-7 in games decided by one possession and lost four by three points or fewer an another, its 32-26 loss to Miami on Dec. 8, in overtime.
“The last 10 games, he was on a heater. He single-handedly basically kept their playoff hopes alive,” Sanchez said. “[The Jets] lost about three games to special teams alone — just field-goal kicking alone.”
It is all relative too, since the Jets had huge expectations that cost coach Robert Saleh his job. Rodgers’ relative struggles also affected his ability to come back — or how he was perceived — even though most teams would sign up for his 2024 numbers.
“If you could tell the Vikings that J.J. McCarthy is gonna have Aaron Rodgers’ stat line, 100 percent they would sign that deal in blood immediately,” Sanchez said.
What Did Mark Sanchez Say About Aaron Rodgers’ Fit With The Pittsburgh Steelers?
Sanchez primarily spent his career with the Jets, but he has been around the NFL as both a player and commentator. So Sanchez feels the fit between Rodgers and the Steelers is great.
“I think it’s probably the right spot,” Sanchez said of Rodgers signing in the Steel City. “You’re always going to get a team that’s tough, hard-nosed, blue-collar, and they’re going to put you in good situations.”
Sanchez understands the noise coming from football-mad Western Pennsylvania, and that Steelers fans are tenuous about whether Rodgers will be successful. But Sanchez also feels Rodgers will bring it when he steps on the field.
“Everybody’s speculating ‘can he fit in? Can he fit in? Can he fit in? Culture fit. He’s too counter-culture. He’s not one of us. He’s not a Steeler,’” Sanchez said. “The only thing that bridges that gap is production.
“I think the culture of [Pittsburgh] and his production, more importantly, can bridge that gap and they can be successful.”
Pat Pickens is an experienced sports writer and media personality who has written for outlets like NHL.com, the Associated Press, the New York Times and USA Today. He covers the NFL, NBA, NHL and NBA as a breaking news contributor at Heavy. More about Pat Pickens
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