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QB Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

HT: 6-2, WT: 220, Born: 12-2-1983, College: California, Drafted: Round 1, Pick 24

2009 Projections

Average draft position

Current as of September 7th. [Full ADP list]

Overall: M Colston (27), R Brown (28), Aaron Rodgers (29), R Grant (30), K Smith (31)
Position: T Brady (13-QB2), P Manning (19-QB3), Aaron Rodgers (29 - QB4), P Rivers (34-QB5), K Warner (37-QB6)
Click here for a comparison of these players.

PPR Average draft position

Current as of September 7th. [Full PPR ADP list]

Overall: R Brown (29), D Bowe (30), Aaron Rodgers (31), R Grant (32), K Smith (33)
Position: T Brady (17-QB2), P Manning (24-QB3), Aaron Rodgers (31 - QB4), P Rivers (39-QB5), K Warner (40-QB6)
Click here for a comparison of these players.

 Click here to go to the Aaron Rodgers spotlight, our staff's most detailed analysis.

 Click here to go to the Aaron Rodgers faceoff, our staff's look at the pros and cons.

Best Case

Aaron Rodgers has helped the Packers organization and fans move on from the legend of Brett Favre. He had a remarkable season in 2008, throwing for 4,038 yards and 28 touchdowns. He found success passing the football despite a rushing attack that struggled compared to the 2007 season. He has legitimized himself as the starting quarterback of the present and future in Green Bay. It's hard to envision a better season for Rodgers, so the best-case scenario would be a repeat of 2008.

Worst Case

There is really not a worst-case scenario for Rodgers barring injuries. The only possible risk is if the offensive line regresses and doesn't allow him as much time to throw. If the rushing attack does better this season, he may throw 50 fewer passes for 400 fewer passing yards. That would put him around 3,600 yards and 24 touchdowns as his worstcase scenario.

Outlook

Rodgers had a wonderful season last year, and he has a great group of receivers. His numbers may take a slight downtick if the rushing attack improves, as expected, this season, but he is still likely to throw for 3,800 yards and 26+ touchdowns this season. He was the third-best fantasy quarterback in 2008 and should finish Top 5 once again in 2009.

Relevant Articles

Why he is overvalued

Maurile Tremblay - Rodgers played very well in a difficult situation last year. The Packers' defense collapsed and the team struggled to win games, but Rodgers shrugged off any pressure he felt from stepping into Brett Favre's shoes and played with intelligence and poise. Nonetheless, his average draft position has crept up to QB4, ahead of quarterbacks with longer track records like Philip Rivers, Kurt Warner, Donovan McNabb and Tony Romo. After just one season as a starter, I don't think Rodgers is a safe enough choice to pick in the Top 5 at his position.

Latest News

Packers | Rodgers solid in Week 10 (Sun Nov 15, 08:13 PM) - The Associated Press reports Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers went 25-for-36 for 189 yards and one touchdown in Week 10. He also rushed for 15 yards and one touchdown on five carries.

Our View: Rodgers continued to struggle in the pocket at times, but spread the ball around to multiple wide receivers and remained very effective in the red zone. He showed no difficulty from the injury that limited him in practice this week.
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Packers | Rodgers probable for Week 10 (Fri Nov 13, 04:15 PM) - Pete Dougherty, of the Green Bay Press-Gazette, reports Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers (feet) participated in practice Friday, Nov. 13. He is listed as probable for Week 10 and will play.

Packers | Rodgers practices Thursday (Thu Nov 12, 05:46 PM) - Pete Dougherty, of the Green Bay Press-Gazette, reports Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers (feet) fully participated in practice Thursday, Nov. 12. He will be able to play in Week 10.

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Packers | Rodgers limited Wednesday (Wed Nov 11, 02:37 PM) - Tom Pelissero, of the Green Bay Press-Gazette, reports Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers (feet) was limited during practice Wednesday, Nov. 11.

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Packers | Rodgers throws three picks Week 9 (Sun Nov 8, 05:38 PM) - The Associated Press reports Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers was 17-for-35 for 266 yards with two touchdown passes and three interceptions Week 9 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He also ran three times for 26 rushing yards with a touchdown in the game. He was also sacked six times in the game.

Our View: Rodgers had some critically timed poor decisions and didn't convert every opportunity the Packers had when things were going their way in the first half.
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More News

2009 Schedule

2008 Game Summaries

Week 1 - Rodgers played well in his first NFL start by making few mistakes and completing a high percentage of his passes. He fumbled a snap early in first quarter but fell on it to maintain possession. On the team's third possession Rodgers hit Greg Jennings on a deep 66 yard pass -- taking advantage of CB Charles Gordon who was playing in place of recently-injured CB Cedric Griffin. A few plays later, on third and goal from the one yard line, Rodgers moved to avoid a hit and then threw a laser to a diving FB Korey Hall for a touchdown.

He also moved well in the backfield, avoiding sacks and running for first downs when able throughout the game. He looked poised and composed, showing very little evidence that this game was his first NFL start.

Week 2 - In the first road start of his career, Rodgers displayed just the skills that made the Packers comfortable with letting Brett Favre go. Despite the fact that the Detroit pass rush was able to get pressure on him all day long, Rodgers displayed an impressive ability to escape the rush, buy time, and connect with his receivers downfield. By the end of the first half he had spread the ball to seven different receivers, gone 16 for 20, amassed three touchdowns, over 200 yards, and earned a near perfect QB rating of 150.0. While his second half was not nearly as impressive as his first, Rodgers was still able to recover from two third quarter fumbles (one on a bad snap), regain his composure and capably manage the offense as it was forced to make up for early fourth quarter Packer defensive lapses that allowed Detroit back into the game. Only two of Rodgers' 38 pass attempts appeared in any danger of being intercepted, and while he connected on two 60+ yard passes to WR Greg Jennings, he could have had perhaps two more had he displayed just a little more accuracy.

Week 3 - QB Aaron Rodgers suffered the first loss of his young career. He did not force the ball or make any major mistakes. They were simply unable to punch the ball into the end zone when close. They also had trouble converting third downs.

His deep pass to WR Donald Driver was a thing of beauty as he hit a wide open Driver in mid-stride for a 50 yard gain. He also appears to have a strong rapport with WR Greg Jennings and frequently went to TE Donald Lee when they were trying for some quick scores late in the contest.

Week 4 - Things looked promising for Rodgers early on as he led Green Bay to a touchdown on the team's opening drive. The Green Bay signal caller capped the initial series with a 25 yard touchdown pass to WR Greg Jennings. Rodgers struggled for the remainder of the afternoon, but he got Green Bay back in the game when he threaded a laser to Jennings in the third quarter that went for a 48 yard score. Rodgers sat out a series in the fourth quarter after he injured his shoulder on a run in which he came down on his extended, right arm. After missing the one drive, he came back in with Green Bay down by two, but his third interception of the game ended up being his final pass as QB Matt Flynn came in for the final Packers' series.

Week 5 - Rodgers got off to a slow start as his first completion of the game did not come until near the beginning of the second quarter when he hit TE Donald Lee for a pick up of seven. He heated up quickly though, as later on in that drive he threw a perfect deep ball to WR Donald Driver that went for a 44 yard score. Driver was double covered on the play, but the Green Bay quarterback dropped the pass into his receiver's hands perfectly. Following a couple of throws in the third quarter, Rodgers was shown grimacing as his injured throwing arm hung at his side. He stayed in the game and threw two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Rodgers' lone interception of the game was a killer though as it came in the fourth quarter and gave Falcons the ball at the Packers' 19 yard line. It was a bad decision that was easily intercepted. Atlanta turned that interception into a touchdown that put the Packers down by ten late in the game.

Week 6 - You could see Rodgers grimacing in the first part of the game as he worked through his shoulder issue. The Green Bay coaching staff admitted that he wasn't going to be throwing four to five passes in a row during this game. Rodgers didn't need to. He did not let the pain show through. After one hard hit Rodgers actually pushed the defenders helmet into the ground as he was pushing himself up off the ground. His throws were very accurate and he hit Greg Jennings in stride on the long TD play. He was hitting timing routes with precision. Rodgers stayed in the pocket and did not rush plays. There were a lot of comparisons being made to Brett Favre because of how Rodgers played through this injury.

Week 7 - QB Aaron Rodgers continues to show no signs of slowdown due to his nagging shoulder injury. At one point, Rodgers completed thirteen straight completions and it was only broken-up by a spike of the ball to stop the clock as the first half was winding down. Rodgers spread the ball around to eight different receivers and did not make any mistakes in leading the team to an impressive victory over the Indianapolis Colts.

Week 9 - Rodgers had quite a lot of trouble against a strong defense that appeared well prepared for the Packers to throw all day. Even though it started out rough, they did not abandon it, as Rodgers adjusted well and in the second half found a wide open Donald Driver all over the field, after targeting him only twice in the first half. He did not favor any one receiver overall, but seemed to lock on to one or the other for stretches at a time. He was not afraid to throw into tight man coverage, but in most cases, those throws became incompletions.

Week 10 - Coming back from on the commercial breaks during the fourth quarter was a highlight reel of all the hits that Aaron Rodgers took today. And, the game was not over yet. Aaron Rodgers did not have time to throw the ball at all. There were a few big plays for first down and one touchdown called back because of offensive line penalties. The offensive line was the reason for the Packers offense struggling. In the first half they were showing footage of Rodgers bicep bruise. Rodgers was very frustrated but he played hard and never gave up. Twice he was tackled for safeties but Rodgers can't be blamed. Rodgers didn't have breathing room and on one play he passed to a receiver but the official ruled it an illegal forward pass.

Week 11 - Rodgers had a good game, despite not being asked to do too much due to the success of the running game. Rodgers' throws were on mark for the most part, as he completed 23 of his 30 passes for 223 yards and two touchdowns. His lone blemish was on a deep pass that Brian Urlacher intercepted, aside from that he was magnificent. Rodgers' first touchdown pass came in the first quarter on a short slant route to Greg Jennings, and he later threw a second touchdown in the third quarter to Donald Lee.

Week 12 - QB Aaron Rodgers managed a strong first half performance but struggled against a suddenly inspired Saints' defense in the second half. Rodgers threw three interceptions in the final two quarters and only put together a single scoring drive as the Saints piled on the points.

At times, Rodgers was quick to leave the pocket and run. He missed a wide-open WR Greg Jennings the first quarter on what would have been an easy score. He was often inaccurate throughout the game but demonstrated a lot of arm strength by putting a lot of zip on the ball.

Rodgers' third pick was late in the game on a desperate fourth down pass after the game was far out of reach for Green Bay.

Week 13 - Aaron Rodgers played in his coldest game of his life. He was a little high on his first two possessions but after that you wouldn't know the temperature. The Packers scored on two consecutive drives and then Rodgers converted the two point conversion to WR Greg Jennings to tie the game. To start one of those scoring drives, Rodgers hit Donald Driver in stride will sitting in the endzone. It was amazing to see what the Green Bay QB could do when the offensive line gave him some time. Rodgers targeted ten different receivers. Rodgers had the chance to be a hero as the Packers had the ball with a minute remaining trailing by four. He threw a bad interception though and pretty much ended the Packers' chances.

Week 14 - Rodgers completed nearly two thirds of his passes for 295 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Rodgers spread the ball around to nine different Green Bay receivers with no Packer catching more than three passes. Green Bay struggled to sustain drives, however; the Packers did not successfully convert a third down until the fourth quarter and only converted one during the game.

Rodgers completions included a 63 yard pass to Greg Jennings and a 59 yard pass to Donald Driver. He lost a 45 yard completion to Driver due to offensive pass interference. The pass was right on the money. Rodgers also missed Driver on another potential big gainer early in the game, but that might have been due to the fact the Dunta Robinson grabbed the receiver once Driver had beaten him.

Rodgers gained four yards the only time he ran. He also avoided a potentially crushing sack near the Green Bay goal line and was able to dump off a pass for a six yard gain.

Week 15 - Rodgers had an uneven game. While he made several good throws and connected with his wide receivers on the majority of them, he did not lead his team to enough touchdowns. He missed receivers at times when they broke open heading towards the end zone, and apart from his touchdown pass to Jennings, his other four red zone passes netted a total of two yards. One of those passes came when it was apparent there was confusion on his teammates' part as to where to line up, and he snapped the ball instead of calling a timeout to avoid a delay of game penalty. The pass resulted in no gain and Green Bay had to settle for a field goal. Rodgers' only interception came on the Packers' last offensive play of the game.

Week 16 - The Packers had more success passing the ball in the first half as Rodgers was 16 for 24 for 176 yards. Rodgers led Green Bay on a long drive and finished it off with a nice seven yard touchdown pass to WR Greg Jennings. Rogers played very well in the first half, despite having an interception off a deflected pass. The Bears didn't get much of a pass rush early in the game. He almost connected on a big pass deep down the field late in the first half with WR Donald Driver, but Driver could not hold onto the ball. Rogers' second touchdown pass came on little screen pass to RB Ryan Grant on a play in which Grant broke a tackle and scampered into the end zone. Rodgers and the Packers faded again in the fourth quarter and simply did not make plays when they needed too late in the game, specifically when they had the ball inside the five yard and a first down midway through the fourth quarter.

Week 17 - Aaron Rodgers capped off his first season as a starter with a big game against the Lions. Rodgers completed 21 of 31 passes for 308 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions. His first score came on a three yard pass to TE Jermichael Finley and Rodgers followed that up with a five yard scoring pass to RB John Kuhn. Rodgers hit WR Donald Driver on a 71 yard scoring strike on a nice double move for his third score of the game that extended the Packer lead to ten. His only rush went for a one yard loss and Rodgers did have a fumble, but the ball was recovered by Green Bay.