Pat Longobardi, Sports Writer-
Before the Green Bay Packers’ late surge, I considered quarterback Aaron Rodgers just an up and coming elite quarterback next to Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger who has the potential for great things. The only difference here is that he did not have a ring. Now, he does.
Rodgers went 24-for-39 for 304 yards and three touchdowns, and won in his first Super Bowl appearance, leading Green Bay to their first championship since 1997 in Super Bowl XXXI.
Rodgers has shown he is now among the current elite quarterbacks in the NFLwith a ring.
Rodgers is now officially on the same neighborhood as Bart Starr and Brett Favre. Whatever has been said about Rodgers having to follow in Favre’s shoes can be washed away. Rodgers now has his own pair of shoes to wear.
I guess snubbing him of a Pro Bowl selection looks like a big mistake?
There was never a dull moment in this Super Bowl. On every play, something happened: a long pass, an interception, a sack, a missed reception and injured players leaving.
In this game alone, Green Bay lost Sam Shields, Charles Woodson and Donald Driver.
However, Green Bay and Rodgers found ways to win with whatever they had, just like they did all season minus starting players.
Behind a solid offense, the defense rattled Roethlisberger in some important moments of the game. The defense intercepted Roethlisberger twice, sacked him once, and Clay Matthews got a costly fumble on Rashard Mendenhall, giving them the golden opportunity they needed to score, and stay in front for good.
Whenever a good player like Rodgers wins a championship, the same question rolls around: Is Aaron Rodgers a Hall-Of-Famer? Possibly. Throwing for a lot of yards during a season, winning games, throwing and scoring touchdowns, and now winning a championship and a Super Bowl M.V.P. award surely puts Rodgers in good shape.
In his third year as a starter, yet ending his sixth season, Rodgers can surely win another one. For the sake of argument, with Rodgers already in his prime, if he goes the same length as Peyton Manning, who has been in the league for 13 years, he could definitely make another one and win again. Manning has been to two Super Bowls, winning one.
The biggest thing to look at for Rodgers is the fact that he is now officially the World Heavyweight Champion. The shot Rodgers gave the crowd after receiving the Vince Lombardi trophy, just as he did all season every time he or his teammates scored, with his hands signaling to his waist that he is the champion, is finally complete.
Aaron Rodgers played the game just like World Wrestling Entertainment superstar Triple H. Just like the message “The Game” gives his opponents after he hits his signature wrestling move, “The Pedigree,” Aaron Rodgers gave the same message: GAME OVER.
