Pro:

Aaron Rodgers is the best player in the NFL of all time. This is because of many different pieces of evidence supporting this.

Many people like to bring up the fact that Rodgers and the Packers have early postseason eliminations. The problem with counting this against Rodgers is that, when I discuss who is the greatest of all time, I view it based solely on the player, not how his team’s defense cost them the game, therefore completely disregarding this notion of early round defeats. The Packers defense was tasked with facing an upcoming Colin Kaepernick, leading to a difficult game for the defense, and last time I checked Rodgers does not play defense, so losing that game should not be held against him. On top of all that, in the postseason, Rodgers 27 touchdowns to eight interceptions and a quarterback rating of 98.2, furthermore putting out the notion that he is not a great quarterback in the playoffs.

People also hold Rodgers accountable for needing to complete Hail Maries at the end of the game due to choking. My response to this is that, yes, Rodgers did not perform well in the fourth quarter, but there are four quarters in a game of football, but the importance of actions made in the fourth are usually over exaggerated since it was “crunch time”, but in reality any point in the game is “crunch time”.

Another thing to consider is the statistical feats Rodgers has produced. One thing to note before we begin is how is in his twelfth season, but was not the starter for his first three seasons and was injured for half of another season. Moving forward, Rodgers has 297 passing touchdowns in his career. Meanwhile, former Broncos QB John Elway, who many considered the most gun slinging quarterback of all time, had only three more touchdowns with 300 all in 16 seasons.

Another interesting stat about Rodgers is his ability to extend plays. In this playoff season, Rodgers has 220 passing yards while out of the pocket, while the rest of the quarterbacks have 200 yards combined. Along with that, Rodgers had 22 passing touchdowns this season after holding the ball for more than three seconds. That was the highest in the league; with second place going to Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston, who had 12. Rodgers’ uncanny ability to keep plays alive it also part of what makes him the greatest of all time. If Rodgers doesn’t scramble out of the pocket and hit Jared Cook on the sideline against the Dallas Cowboys this past Sunday, the Packers in all likelihood would have lost that game, unless Aaron Rodgers, you know, were to pull a Hail Mary again

You also have to look at all the accolades that Rodgers’ has racked up during his career. Rodgers has won the following: the 2010 NFL Super Bowl MVP, 2011 NFL AP MVP, 2011 NFL Bert Bell Award (Player of the Year) and the 2014 AP MVP. Along with that, Rodgers has made 2 First Team All-Pros and 6 Pro Bowls.

With all of this in mind, it is clear that Rodgers is the greatest of all time.

Con:

The case of Aaron Rodgers is a curious one. People love him for his ability to make strong throws and lead the Packers into the Playoffs year in and year out. People are dubbing him “The Best Ever” and comparing him to Michael Jordan in football. And for a guy who only has one Super Bowl win in his ninth full season, and 12th in the league, it seems a bit premature.

This Sunday will be his third NFC Championship appearance in his career. In the same amount of time (nine years), Tom Brady has been to five AFC Title Games. In the playoffs, the Packer-led Aaron Rodgers team has only been to the Super Bowl once, constantly getting bounced out of the playoffs. What is most frightening is that in the playoffs is that Rodgers has a losing record against Carson Palmer (0-1) and Colin Kaepernick (0-2). His defense is what can get him far in the playoffs. When they are average at best, his true colors show.

And when you take a look at each year for the both of them, Brady is dominant in his division, posting 12-4, 13-3 and 14-2 records almost every season. Compared to Rodgers, this was his record in the division in the past five years: 10-6, 10-6, 12-4, 8-7-1 and 11-5. Not as dominant for a guy who is referred to as the best Quarterback in the league today.

Not only are the numbers less than spectacular, he isn’t the nicest guy in the league. He “wows” people with his ability to throw “Hail Mary’s” to bail himself out of games at the last second, but people do need to recognize his character issues. Him and Head Coach Mike McCarthy never hold themselves accountable when they lose games. They will blame Receivers for dropped balls or not running the right route. They will blame the Offensive Line for bad protection.

After the 2014 NFC Championship Game in which they lost to the eventual runner-up Seattle Seahawks in OT, they blamed the loss on Tight End Brandon Bostic for muffing the onside kick. No, it wasn’t the fact that Aaron Rodgers threw two interceptions or had a passer rating of 55.8. Or because they failed to score from the goal line early in the game. Aaron Rodgers will find someone else to blame besides himself when they lose.

It can’t be discounted that he can lead the Packers into the playoffs by himself, as he has carried previous teams to the promise land on his back. The two MVP trophies are also a nice addition to his resume, and he is arguably one of the best Quarterbacks today.

All of this surrounding Rodgers makes it prevalent that he is not one of the best QB’s to ever play. Just because he has a great passer rating and can make it to the Divisional Round every year doesn’t mean he is a God before us. He has to win more Championships to get to this level. Because Rodgers is only 1-0 in the big game. So is Brad Johnson and Trent Dilfer, and we don’t talk about how legendary they are.