Former NFL safety Ryan Clark didn’t hold back on ESPN’s Get Up, slamming Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers as a “catfish” and arguing he lacks the leadership qualities that set legends like Tom Brady and Peyton Manning apart. According to Clark, Rodgers has “every physical tool to have been the greatest,” but falls short on “intangible” qualities needed to elevate a team and inspire a locker room.
Clark pointed to how Brady and Manning changed the cultures of their new teams, with Manning leading the Broncos to a Super Bowl and Brady securing his seventh ring with the Buccaneers. Rodgers, however, has not yet been able to turn around the struggling Jets, who recently fired head coach Robert Saleh after a disappointing 2-3 start to the season.
Clark argued that while Rodgers is a gifted passer, he’s missing the “intangible DNA” of a great leader. “The Aaron Rodgers that we mentioned (along) with the names Tom Brady and Peyton Manning was a catfish,” Clark said, adding that Rodgers lacks the respect and influence that Brady and Manning brought to their teams. According to Clark, this shortcoming has kept Rodgers from realizing his full potential, despite his impressive skills and four MVPs.
This critique comes at a challenging time for Rodgers, as he faces heightened expectations to lift the Jets and prove he can inspire a team in the way his legendary peers did.
