"Greatness is the expectation": When Aaron Rodgers gave a candid response after winning 4th MVP

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers had an impressive career phase from 2019 to 2021, during which he won back-to-back NFL MVP in 2020 and 2021.

In 2020, he passed for 4299 yards with a 70.7% completion rate, 48 touchdowns and a passer rating of 121.5. In 2021, he performed equally well, completing 68.9% of his passes for 4115 yards, 37 touchdowns and a passer rating of 11.9.

After winning another MVP award, Rodgers left a response:

“Greatness is the expectation. It’s not a destination."

Rodgers also expressed his gratitude towards the coaching staff but specifically mentioned coach Matt LaFleur.

“Trusting me, supporting me, empowering me and making things easy for me,” Rodgers said.

It was Rodgers’ fourth MVP award while playing for the Green Bay Packers. This placed him only behind Peyton Manning, who has five. Interestingly, Rodgers is the first player to win successive MVP awards since Manning and the former Indianapolis Colts quarterback awarded Rodgers in 2021.

An excited Rodgers was happy to share the stage and receive the prize from Manning, whom he described to have:

“Inspired a generation of quarterbacks, myself included.”

"I’m thankful for the 17 years I’ve gotten to play in Green Bay. I’m thankful for the squad that Brian and Russ and Matt put together the last few years. I think there’s a lot to build on there, whether I’m there or not. I think they’ve got a really good nucleus in place,” Rodgers added.

Aaron Rodgers fails to replicate his greatness for New York Jets

Aaron Rodgers' words indicated his impending exit from the Green Bay Packers after 18 years. It is reported that Rodgers was unhappy with the setup and considered retiring or moving on instead of continuing at the Packers. Hence, he joined the Jets at the end of the 2022 season with great expectations.

“I have a lot of pride in my performance, so when I take the field, I expect greatness because I've done it before," Rodgers said in 2022. "So that's the kind of standard I hold myself to.”

Unfortunately for the Jets, Rodgers has failed to perform as per those standards. While he missed the 2023 season due to injury, his performance in 2024 wasn’t great.