Ryan Clark isn’t holding back when it comes to Aaron Rodgers. The former NFL safety took aim at the New York Jets quarterback, calling him a “catfish” and suggesting he’s been overhyped for years. According to Clark, people have long viewed Rodgers as a top-tier quarterback, putting him in the same conversation as legends like Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. But in Clark’s view, that comparison doesn’t hold up.
Clark’s main point? Rodgers may have all the physical skills, but he’s missing something crucial: leadership. “Aaron Rodgers has every physical tool to have been the greatest quarterback to have played this game,” Clark said, but he added, “There is something that he is missing in his intangible DNA that makes him devoid of great leadership.” Clark’s criticism digs deep, suggesting that Rodgers lacks the ability to inspire and elevate a team the way Brady and Manning did.
Aaron Rodgers has a problem with the New York Jets
For Clark, the key difference between Rodgers and the other greats isn’t talent, it’s what happens off the field, in the locker room, and with team morale. He pointed out how Brady and Manning didn’t just win games-they transformed entire organizations.
“The spirit, the reverence, the attention to detail, the respect of those organizations was immediately magnified by the addition of those two quarterbacks,” Clark said. That, in his eyes, hasn’t happened with Rodgers and the Jets.
Clark slams Rodgers as a ‘catfish’ QB
Rodgers, a four-time MVP and Super Bowl champion, made a high-profile move from the Green Bay Packers to the Jets. Expectations were sky-high, but the team’s rough start and the recent firing of head coach Robert Saleh haven’t helped matters. According to Clark, people thought they knew who Rodgers was, but he believes it’s all been a “fantasy.” He went as far as to say, “The Aaron Rodgers that we mentioned (along) with the names Tom Brady and Peyton Manning was a catfish.”
Clark’s argument is that while Rodgers has the arm, the stats, and the accolades, he hasn’t brought the same game-changing leadership that Brady and Manning delivered when they switched teams. Manning took the Broncos to Super Bowl glory after leaving the Colts, and Brady won yet another championship with the Buccaneers. Rodgers, however, hasn’t been able to recreate that magic with the Jets.
In Clark’s view, Rodgers has the potential to be one of the greatest, but without the intangible leadership qualities, he falls short of being in the same league as Brady and Manning.
