Stephen A Smith once dozed off following $50,000,000 worth Aaron Rodgers' post darkness retreat comments - "Sick and tired"
It seems like a lifetime ago, but Aaron Rodgers' darkness retreat did indeed take place this offseason. When the Luke Skywalker-esque escape happened with the quarterback, seemingly every analyst and fan had their own take on it, including Stephen A. Smith. The First Take host's non-reaction was a reaction unto itself and cut through the noise.
In a clip posted on YouTube from the show, Smith was left snoozing before launching into his true take on the quarterback. Here's how he put it back in March:
"I'm so sick and tired of talking about everything about Aaron Rodgers... outside of Patrick Mahomes, the greatest talent from the quarterback position I've ever seen in my life and a guy that I like personally but I am so sick and tired. I would be embarrassed if folks are talking about me this much when I haven't won."
Well, the First Take host better get ready as it appears to be essentially official that Rodgers' team will be the subject of Hard Knocks, per Adam Schefter on Twitter. The HBO documentary series follows one team through the preseason. In August, a weekly recap and reaction to the show is basically a requirement for NFL analysts.
A requirement of the program's decision-making process is that the team has to basically be coming off a bad season. As such, most of the brand-name, established stars don't get chosen to be featured on the program.
NFL and NFL Films have selected the New York Jets to serve as this year’s team on Hard Knocks, per sources.
Jets report to training camp one week from today, July 19, and the cameras will be rolling in full force. twitter.com/i/web/status/1… https://t.co/v9A7Pb9GP2
However, with Rodgers joining the Jets, the program got an exceptionally rare chance to look at one of the top quarterbacks of the generation and appears to be taking that to the bank.
Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes gear up for documentaries galore
In terms of NFL history, one might be able to argue that there hasn't been a more public one-two punch for players at the top of the popularity contest than July and August of 2023. As of July 12, a new Netflix documentary series called 'Quarterback' has launched that gives an unprecedented look at Patrick Mahomes' life.
Then, after binging the eight-episode series, fans can then tune into Hard Knocks, observing Aaron Rodgers up close and personal. In the past, the show has covered snippets of stars' personal lives, so fans can expect a peek behind the curtain for No. 8 as well, setting the stage for an intense season for both players.
If any of the above quotes are used, please credit First Take and H/T Sportskeeda.