3 Reasons why Aaron Rodgers won't be NFL MVP in 2022-23 season
Aaron Rodgers won back-to-back NFL MVP awards in 2020 and 2021, yet the Green Bay Packers quarterback is unlikely to make it a hat-trick.
Rodgers has lived through yet another tumultuous offseason in which his future in the NFL has been brought under the microscope.
Initially, it was thought he wanted a trade away from Wisconsin. However, the number of possible destinations quickly dried up as the Denver Broncos and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers solidified their quarterback room for the 2022 season.
Retirement was also on the table for the 38-year-old, although this route always felt like more of a threat to the Packers than a realistic possibility.
Yet, at the end of it all, Rodgers ended up right where he started: stuck in Green Bay on a major new contract that will see him once again take charge under center in Green and Gold.
While fantastic financially, this move had some consequences, with Davante Adams needing to be traded to keep the Packers in a safe cap situation. The irony is that this makes Rodgers’ job all the more difficult this season.
Here are three reasons Aaron Rodgers won’t win the 2022 MVP award.
#1 – Aaron Rodgers’ offense in Green Bay is much weaker
Davante Adams’ departure will have a far greater impact on the Green Bay offense than people realize. Yes, everyone knows he is one of the NFL’s elite wide receivers, but there are few other players that the quarterback has as much confidence in as he had in the Las Vegas Raiders star.
Adams’ numbers in the last two seasons have been extraordinary: catching 29 touchdowns in two seasons and registering over 2,900 yards.
This has been a huge reason why Rodgers has been able to play at an MVP level. If you don’t have a reliable target to catch your passes, you’re often nothing as a quarterback.
Most passing touchdowns 2020-2021:
1. Aaron Rodgers (85)
...
9. Aaron Rodgers not counting Davante Adams (58)
There will still be offensive options for the veteran to utilize, not least Randall Cobb, Sammy Watkins, and rookie Christian Watson. Although, none of those names are guaranteed elite receivers.
Rodgers will have to take far more time on the ball surveying the field, which could lead to problems with his productivity and fitness. Injuries have plagued the Green Bay leader before when he hasn’t had a reliable main target to go to, and the seemingly telepathic connection he had with Adams meant he rarely had to hold on to the ball too long.
Without Adams’ reliable service, it’s almost impossible to see the quarterback putting up MVP numbers. The cast around him just isn’t strong enough.