ESPN Senior NFL insider Adam Schefter compared Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers to his old, less mobile family dog Tuesday, as the veteran signal-caller marked his 42nd birthday.
Schefter made the comparison on the latest episode of The Adam Schefter Podcast, suggesting that while Rodgers retains his competitive fire and passing talent, his ability to move has diminished with age, reminiscent of a dog past its prime. Schefter offered an extended analogy, drawing parallels between the four-time MVP and his 16-year-old dog, Bailey.
Schefter described his dog’s current condition and unchanged, aggressive disposition:
“It reminds me a little bit, you know, we’ve got four dogs at our house. We had five. We lost our beloved Benny just under a year ago. We have two dogs that are really not doing well. One of them is named Bailey. Bailey’s 16. Bailey was the faster dog. Bailey was the most athletic dog. Bailey has over the last year lost the use of her back legs. We have to take her out all the time. But she never liked other dogs coming around her. And every time another dog comes around her, she’d like go like this (growl). She’d like show her teeth and growl and go to bite them.”
Adam Schefter says Aaron Rodgers retains ‘bite' and talent despite loss of mobility
The NFL insider clarified the connection between the aging quarterback and the dog, focusing on the preservation of a competitive spirit despite physical decline.
“Bailey now, she can’t move but she’s still, when another dog’s walking by and she’s laying down she still bears those teeth and she’s still growling. It’s a little bit like Aaron Rodgers. It reminds me because he can’t move quite the same way. He’s still got that bite. He’s still got the talent. He just can’t move around as much as he’d like to or as he did back in the day. Aaron Rodgers is the Bailey of quarterbacks right now to me.”
Rodgers, in his first season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, has led the team to a 6-6 record through 12 games. The quarterback has completed 65.2% of his passes for 2,086 yards, throwing 19 touchdowns against seven interceptions. He currently holds a 95.4 passer rating and a 40.5 quarterback rating.
The Steelers aim to snap a two-game skid following their Week 13 26-7 loss to the Buffalo Bills. They prepare for a pivotal divisional matchup against the AFC North rival Baltimore Ravens (6-6) Sunday at 1 p.m. ET on CBS at M&T Bank Stadium. Rodgers signed a one-year, $13.65 million contract with the Steelers during the offseason, a deal that includes $10 million guaranteed and can reach up to $19.5 million with performance incentives.
The comparison comes as Rodgers enters the late stage of his 21st professional season. His reputation was once built on his exceptional mobility and ability to extend plays outside the pocket, a part of his game that analysts suggest has steadily diminished since his younger, MVP-winning days. Despite this physical change, the veteran passer continues to deliver an elite level of statistical production, keeping the Steelers in the AFC playoff conversation.
