Love him or hate him, Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers has been one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks over the past decade-plus.
He has taken the Packers to five appearances in the NFC Championship Game since becoming their starter in 2008, as well as a Super Bowl championship in 2010.
But one stat makes what Rodgers has done all the more impressive.
In all his years in the league, he has never connected with a wide receiver taken in the first round of the draft on a touchdown pass.
If Rodgers is traded to the New York Jets, as virtually everyone expects, he will likely end that streak.
#Jets draft/Aaron Rodgers-related factoid:
With G Wilson and C Davis on roster, Rodgers will have a chance to throw a TD pass to a 1st-rd WR for 1st time in career. Crazy.
Most TD passes w/oa TD to 1st-rd WR (since 1970): Rodgers 475, Bartkowski 156, Bortles 103. @EliasSports
—Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) April 11, 2023
Rodgers has done relatively well with the Packers while playing with studs such as Davante Adams, Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, Donald Driver and Greg Jennings.
But despite their success, none of them were taken in the first round of the draft.
In recent years, the Packers have relied more on their running game, which has been headlined by AJ Dillon and Aaron Jones.
The Jets, meanwhile, have wideout Garrett Wilson, the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year who was the No. 10 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, and they have also brought in one of Rodgers’ favorite targets in Allen Lazard, an undrafted wideout who played with him in Green Bay over the last five seasons.
Rodgers may not make New York a lock to make the playoffs, given how deep and improved the AFC is right now, but with a strong defense, they should be very competitive.
NEXT:
Mike Greenberg Reveals What He Is Hearing About Aaron Rodgers Trade