The 2022 NFL season has come and gone for the Green Bay Packers and it ended the same way that the majority of it went. For most of the season, the Packers were out of the mix and had no chance to make the playoffs. They went on a crazy run at the end of the year and set up a win-and-in situation in Week 18 against the Detroit Lions, but came up short and were eliminated at Lambeau Field.
Now, the rumors have begun swirling about Aaron Rodgers’ future once again. Many believe he could be on his way out of town this offseason. It seems much more likely this year than in years past that he could actually leave.
Fans have been very much onboard with the idea that Rodgers could leave. He has received a lot of criticism this year for his play. Unfortunately, many fans do not realize how good Rodgers actually was compared to other quarterbacks around the league and also the fact that he played through a broken thumb.
Pro Football Reference released two crazy statistics about Rodgers from the 2022 season. These two numbers shed a positive light on Rodgers’ performance.
According to @pfref, Packers QB Aaron Rodgers was second among NFL quarterbacks in on-target percentage and also second in passes dropped percentage in 2022. The 40 total drops were tied for the most.
— Zach Kruse (@zachkruse2) January 25, 2023
Breaking Down Those Crazy Aaron Rodgers Stats
Part of the issue for Rodgers this season was the fact that his wide receivers were dropping the ball. That comes from playing with two rookie wide receivers as your two most talented wideouts. Even Allen Lazard, who Rodgers has a ton of trust in, was dropping footballs at an alarming rate.
As for the other statistic, being second in on-target percentage says a lot about some of the negative comments being directed Rodgers’ way. Even with a broken thumb, he was among the league’s elite in that category. That is impressive in and of itself.
Throughout the course of the 2022 season, Rodgers once again played in all 17 games. He completed 64.6 percent of his pass attempts for 3,695 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. Rodgers also picked up 94 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
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At 39 years of age, those numbers look even more impressive. It shows that he still has plenty of good football left. Doing what he did with a new corps of wide receivers and losing Davante Adams is something that should be given credit to.
With all of that being said, Aaron Rodgers is far from being washed up. He is far from being unable of taking a team to a Super Bowl. If the Packers do move on from him, they better hope that Jordan Love is as good as fans think or they will take a major step back for years to come.
