Rodgers lauds Sam Darnold after providing him a lesson
Not long after demoralizing the Jets and their long-suffering fans, he was in such a good mood that he was moved to kill Sam Darnold (24-for-35, 341 yards, 3 TDs) with kindness.
“He played great,” Aaron Rodgers said after Packers 44, Jets 38 in OT. “He played really, really good. I like his game. He threw the ball really well, but he’s moving around, making plays on the run. I think he has a bright future. I think all of those guys that are playing this year have an opportunity to be the next crop of guys.”
Rodgers provided a franchise quarterback lesson to young Darnold by insisting he would play with a bad groin in a game that had no playoff implication for the Packers.
Asked what message it sent to his team, Rodgers said: “That it matters. That even when the record isn’t great and you’re not going to the playoffs, it still matters. That I have a lot of pride. I love competing in anything. Like I said on the field after the game, I don’t want to look back in 20 years and wonder, ‘What if I’d played in that game? Could something special have happened? What would it look like to my teammates if they knew I kind of quit on them?’ So I hope my teammates know that I’m never going to quit on them. I’m about to give everything that I’ve got and they did the same.”
Rodgers (37-for-55, 442 yards, 2 TDs, 5-32 2 TDs rushing) gushed about the experience — first road win of the season, no better place to do it in comeback fashion.
“I’ll have very special memories,” he said. “We’ve had a couple over the years in New York. We had a couple of duds as well. We played the Giants in ’11 and beat them 38-35, so that was a special moment.
“I enjoy this stadium. I enjoy this city and the atmosphere. … I’m glad I played today.”
He overcame a 35-20 deficit in the fourth quarter.
“I think the biggest thing you can point to is the urgency is so high,” Rodgers said.
He ended it with a 16-yard strike to Davante Adams.
“I didn’t want to make any dumb plays and they come out and played a little cover 4,” Rodgers said. “We kind of checked to the same play that [I] hit Davante on against the Rams eight or nine weeks ago.”
Asked how he feels, Rodgers said: “I got banged up a little, but I’m feeling pretty good. I’ve got another week in me.”
