Rodgers, Wilson Found out the Hard Way: Neither QB Close to Tom Brady’s Level
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Following Tom Brady’s successful run in 2020 down in Tampa Bay, disgruntled veteran quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson both saw what the former New England Patriots quarterback accomplished, and it changed the course of their final years with their respective teams.
According to reports at the time, Brady’s Super Bowl win ultimately sparked interest by both Wilson and Rodgers in potentially seeking a change of scenery, with both seemingly believing they were good enough to accomplish what Brady had. Both appeared to believe they could elevate a new team to that level, and that’s when both began to seek an opportunity elsewhere.
For both quarterbacks, the journey hasn’t turned out too well.
Seattle ended up winners in the Broncos in the deal that landed Wilson, with Denver sending two first-round picks, two second-round picks, and a fifth-round pick, along with three players, in exchange for the disgruntled quarterback. They also received a 4th round pick in 2022, which turned out to be defensive lineman Eyioma Uwazurike.
Uwazurike ended up being suspended for an indefinite gambling ban in July of 2023, but was reinstated at the start of last season. He has yet to be productive for the Broncos, finishing with just 11 tackles last season along with half a sack, essentially matching his rookie total in 2022.
As for the Seahawks, the three players they received were quarterback Drew Lock, tight end Noah Fant, and defensive lineman Shelby Harris. Harris was released after one season, while Lock did appear in four games for the Seahawks but couldn’t beat out Geno Smith for the starting role and he was released after the 2023 season.
Meanwhile, Fant ended up giving them two productive seasons, having averaged 500 receiving yards per year at tight end in their offense. But the Seahawks head into this offseason up against the salary cap, with both Tyler Lockett and Fant among players who reportedly could be casualties in the coming weeks.
As for the draft picks, those have certainly worked out. The Seahawks bolstered their defense, adding linebackers Boye Mafe (2022 – 2nd round pick) and Tyreke Smith (2022 – 5th round pick), who have both been solid. They also snagged cornerback Devon Witherspoon (2023 – 1st round pick), who finished second on the team in tackles last season, and was second on the team with 9 passes defended. He was considered to be the team’s most exciting player last season and the expectations are that the 5th overall pick will be headed toward even bigger things in his third season.
Derick Hall, the 2023 second round pick they also received in that deal, finished last season with just 36 tackles but was second on the team with 20 quarterback hits.
On offense, the biggest impact has come from left tackle Charles Cross, who the club selected 9th overall in 2022. He’s been terrific, and has lived up to the expectations for a Seahawks team that finished in the top half of the league in scoring in 2024 while also tying the Rams for 10 wins (they lost the Division tie-breaker) in the NFC West.
Needless to say, the Seahawks came out on the better end of this deal, given Wilson’s decline in play and his subsequent production in Denver.
Wilson was mediocre in Denver, playing so bad in his first season where he completed just 60% of his passes, along with 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, that he got head coach Nathaniel Hackett fired.
Denver then traded for head coach Sean Payton, who saw a resurgence from Wilson the following season after his completion percentage rose to 66.4% along with 26 touchdowns and just 8 interceptions.
However, for someone who coached Drew Brees, it was obvious Payton didn’t seem overly enamored with Wilson. Denver had an up and down year and by Week 16, Wilson had led the Broncos to a 7-7 record.
Payton then ended up benching him for the final two games to protect him from injury, which also insulated Denver from a $37 million injury guarantee. That was done with the clear intention of moving on from him, which is exatly what they ultimately did when they released him after the season.
He’s since moved on to Pittsburgh where things didn’t really improve. He completed just 63.7% of his passes last season while throwing 16 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. He’s set to his free agency and his future for next season remains murky.
The 36-year old said in 2020 that he hoped to play until he’s 45. At the rate he’s going, he looks closer to being out of the league in the next few years, and he certainly hasn’t looked like a player who believed was good enough to elevate a team the way Brady did.
Former Packers QB Aaron Rodgers is another player who joined Wilson as a player who thought taking his talents elsewhere would lead to better results.
Rodgers’ biggest issue is his arrogance, where he just can’t seem to focus on just playing football. Despite being a gifted athlete, his work ethic and dedication to the game has come into question in recent years.
One of the things that stood out in Green Bay felt like a lack of accountablity, which saw Rodgers’ shortcomings shift the blame toward his coaching staff and teammates, before the Packers ultimately started to see through it. The selection of Jordan Love in the first round of 2020 turned out to be the final straw for Rodgers but a smart move for the team. In fact, the people in the front office over that span are all looking like geniuses for surprising everyone – including Rodgers – with a gamble that definitely appears to be paying off.
Love’s addition, along with Brady’s Super Bowl run, sparked their split after it became clear two seasons later that things were going nowhere after an 8-9 finish in 2022.
The Jets ended up making a trade for the embattled QB, sending their 2023 first-round pick, their 2023 and 2024 second-round picks, along with a 2023 sixth-round pick in exchange for Rodgers.
Green Bay parlayed that group into six players, including linebackers Lukas Van Ness (2023 first-round) and Edgerrin Cooper (2024 second-round), tight end Luke Musgrave (2023 second-round), kicker Anders Carlson (2023 sixth-round), offensive lineman Jacob Monk (2024 fifth-round) and safety Evan Williams (2024 fourth-round).
The Packers haven’t fared as well on their end of things. Van Ness has had moments but hasn’t lived up to the expectations, while Cooper impressed and some believe he could become one of the elite linebackers in the league. Musgrave suffered a lacerated kidney during his rookie season, and also sustained an ankle injury last year that ended his 2024 campaign.
Williams was a bright spot last season, with the expectations of a second-year leap coming for him this year, while Carlson led the NFL with 13 missed kicks in his rookie season, and was released the following summer. Monk plyaed in 10 games but ended up as a healthy scratch down the stretch last season.
Despite how the haul turned out for the Packers, it doesn’t change the fact the Jets definitely came up on the wrong end of things.
In addition to what they gave up, they got little in return from Rodgers. He went down just a handful of snaps into their opener in 2023 with his Achilles injury, and his one “healthy” season certainly didn’t work out too well.
After starting out 2-1, New York lost five straight, with the Patriots handing them a 25-22 loss in Week 8. They turned around and beat Houston four days later in a 21-13 win on Thursday Night Football, but the Jets then proceeded to drop the next four in a row.
Overall, his inconsistent performance ultimately saw head coach Robert Saleh fired after whispers of internal issues between the two, with the Jets ultimately cleaning house at the end of the season.
From missing time during the offseason, to a less-than stellar campaign during his one healthy year, it’s safe to say that whatever hope he provided in New York has eroded. Despite reportedly trying to pursuade the Jets to give him another year under new head coach Aaron Glenn, they’re moving on, leaving his future uncertain.
His tenure with the Jets encapsulates a career that potentially could have been even better if he hadn’t seemingly sabotaged himself. For someone who believes he’s at Brady’s level, he learned the hard way that physical ability only carries you so far, and it’s safe to say that Brady’s overall work ethic and consistency is the stark difference that separates the two.
For now, both Wilson and Rodgers are each potentially heading to new teams this offseason and neither seems close to accomplishing what Brady ultimately did. It’s yet another reminder of how good the former Patriots QB really was, with both Wilson and Rodgers both learning the hard way that neither are quite as good as they each may have thought.
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