Steelers Safety Wants Aaron Rodgers to Be in Conversation as One of the Best Quarterbacks in NFL

Aaron Rodgers may be midway through 41 but his new teammate Juan Thornhill believes he is still one of the top quarterbacks in the league after seeing him train.

Steelers Safety Wants Aaron Rodgers to Be in Conversation as One of the Best Quarterbacks in NFL

Aaron Rodgers at Steelers OTA (Image via IMAGO)

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Juan Thornhill found it hard to believe that Aaron Rodgers threw an interception on his first attempt in Pittsburgh Steelers training camp at St. Vincent College on Thursday. However, a measly pick isn’t enough to diminish Thornhill’s respect for Rodgers.

Thornhill previously shared a locker room with Patrick Mahomes at the Kansas City Chiefs. He witnessed firsthand the difference a quality and experienced quarterback can make compared to someone new.

The 29-year-old holds Rodgers in the same regard, even though the pick slightly threw him off.

It’s amazing, you know. [When] you play against the best each and every day, it is only gonna make you better as a defense… If you’re playing against a quarterback that doesn’t have a lot of experience and things like that, it’s pretty easy to read’em and you are not gonna be prepared for the game. But when you’ve got a player like Aaron, you know, out here, that’s seen a lot of football, played in the biggest games, and made a lot of big plays, you see him every single day, it’s gonna make the game easier.

Juan Thornhill said via the Steelers’ YouTube channel

Better yet, the former Chiefs and Browns safety believes that Aaron Rodgers is still one of the best quarterbacks in the league, even at 41 years old.

They talk about how he’s not a great quarterback, but if you really compare him to some of these guys like Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes, he should be in that conversation. He made a lot of plays.

Thornhill said

The Green Bay Packers felt it was the right time to move on after they failed to qualify for the playoffs in 2022. Rodgers followed Brett Favre’s footsteps and signed for the Jets, but he would prefer the stats crew erase that layover completely.

His first year in New York ended in week one due to an Achilles tear, and the following season, the Jets managed only five wins in 17 games. Ironically, the Jets won fewer matches when Rodgers started as their quarterback compared to when he did not.

The Jets’ owner overhauled the roster and the coaching staff. Rodgers was cut from the team. He stayed a free agent until agreeing to a one-year deal after minicamp.

Aaron Rodgers foreshadowed more interceptions

Interceptions are part of football. No matter how accurate a quarterback is, there will be a few passes that go astray.

Steelers Safety Wants Aaron Rodgers to Be in Conversation as One of the Best Quarterbacks in NFL
Aaron Rodgers (Image via IMAGO)

Steelers fans should not take Rodgers’ pick too seriously. There’s an advantage to throwing picks in practice.

When ESPN’s Brooke Pryor asked Rodgers to comment on his INT to Queen, the 4x NFL MVP replied,

You can get that out of the way. Anybody who has watched me practice over the years, they know I liked to try certain throws at times and anybody who has watched me in the games, I have been pretty stellar taking care of the football over the years. There are gonna be picks for sure. I am gonna try fit in certain things… I’m gonna throw some picks, but I’m going to throw some touchdowns, too.

Rodgers’ statement may sound like self-praise, but there’s merit to his claims. He has a touchdown-to-interception count of 503 TDs to 116 INTs. Only four times has he ever thrown more than 10 picks in two decades.

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