Will Aaron Rodgers Retire? (Hour 2)

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Shop in store or visit Ashley.com today. All righty, this is Zach Yelb's show, coast to coast on CBS Sports Radio, hour number two of our radio program. Hickey, so for like three months I used to work at Sirius XM and I got paired up for early Sunday mornings and some of my responsibilities to do shows with the former NFL safety and Eric Coleman. And I'm a large human being and I don't usually feel small next to people, but I've never felt like more of a wisp of a man than sitting next to Eric Coleman in a radio studio. That dude, Hickey, he has muscles that gave birth to muscles.

It's really impressive. A guy that's been out of the league since 2012 doesn't need to be in that good of shape, Ry. And he is just jacked like I've never seen before. And his muscles are literally the size of my head. No exaggeration.

You're not wrong. Huge. And with the unfortunate Aaron Rodgers injury, I decided to let's go reconnect with that large, muscular human being, the former safety for the Jets, Falcons and Detroit Lions out of Washington State, the great Eric Coleman. Eric, how are you? I'm doing great.

You got me over here blushing. And I really did enjoy those days back in Sirius, man. We had a good time.

So I enjoyed hanging out with you, if I'm being honest with you. As someone that was in my early 20s at the time, I did not enjoy waking up that early on a Sunday morning after a big night of partying on a Saturday night to go talk football at 8 in the morning. That was the worst. That was the worst. I was playing hurt.

There was no doubt about it. Alrighty, so last night, it's one of the more emotional nights that you'll ever have as a sports fan. I'm not even a Jets fan and it was a crazy emotional ride with the Rodgers injury, then thinking the Jets season is over, then the Jets win the game and they beat a very good Buffalo Bills team. Just how did you process everything that did occur last night, Eric?

Oh man, to say it was a rollercoaster would be an understatement. You come out and you're right. You're emotional at the beginning of that game. You see Rodgers come out with the flag, the national anthem, everything. The stadium was electric. You can just see.

You can just feel the energy. And on the fourth offensive play for the Jets, for Aaron Rodgers to go down, it really took the wind out of my sails. My son is a big fan. He got a picture with Aaron Rodgers during training camp, so he was crying. He's eight years old. He was crying. Because he knew, just like I knew, that it was something serious. If Aaron Rodgers couldn't walk off the field, he was getting carted off. For a second, you're like, man, all the hopes of the season are done. It takes you a little while to get back to normal, just like I think it did for the Jets. It took them a while to understand what was going on. They went in at halftime.

They came out. They played great coming out of halftime and really stepped it up, so I was proud of the way they responded to such a big loss. I know that it's not life or death with the injury, and Aaron Rodgers is going to be okay, and we'll see if he comes back next year, but sports are serious. You know how passionate we are about them. In that moment when your eight-year-old child is crying, what did you say as a dad?

I told him, it's going to be okay. It's just an injury. It's just a player. They've got a great team around Aaron Rodgers. He knows all the players. They still have Garrett Wilson. Breech Hall is still on the team. Sals Gardner is still making plays out there. They really did put a great team around Aaron Rodgers. Yes, he's the big superstar.

He's the big name around the team, but this team is really what I said is a team. They've done a great job on defense. They had a great performance yesterday. I think a lot of guys stepped up. Garrett Wilson had one of the best catches I've seen in a long time down in the red zone. Breech Hall averaged 12.7 yards per carry. You can tell that he was still holding back.

He wasn't in the same Breech Hall as he was last year. Still a little timid from that knee injury, but he still is a force. I think you give this team some time, they will be a force to be reckoned with. Yes, Super Bowl, for me personally, just as an analyst, I don't really think Super Bowl, but I do see this team as a playoff team. If they get in the tournament, who knows what happens.

Here's the big question. What is Zach Wilson going to look like? Where's your confidence level with him, with him basically becoming the backup, not really having a spot on this team to go make an impact?

Now he's thrown right back into the fire and we'll see how long he's going to be able to hold that starting title tag. I was a little nervous, but Zach has really matured. He's grown up over these past six months since the season ended. Aaron Rodgers coming into the building has really helped him grow. I think that he's helped him see the game in a different way. He's had to address some issues with the team as far as leadership and maturity-wise.

I think that he has definitely grown. I was looking forward to letting him watch Aaron Rodgers work, watch him go into a game plan, see how he operates, how he handles adjustments to help him grow as a quarterback. Unfortunately, he's going to have to be thrown into the fire right now. I think this is going to be the best version of Zach Wilson that we're going to see. I think that as a Jets fan, I hope he just lets it rip.

I hope he doesn't think too much. I hope he just lets his talent speak for himself and trusts his preparation. Hopefully, we'll see a great quarterback.

It's a really tough schedule right out of the gate even with Aaron Rodgers. Now with Zach Wilson, I know you said let it rip, but really all they need him to be, in my opinion, is a game manager with how talented they are on the defense side of the ball and the pieces on offense. Can he be a game manager in your opinion or do you still just look at him and go, I've got to see it before I can really believe it?

Yeah, I've got to see it before I believe it. I would like to see him make the right decisions, some check downs, hit players when they're open. He doesn't need to make the big play like he's been looking for the last two years.

The big plays will come. You give those receivers the ball in the right position. They'll turn a five-yard slant into an 80-yard play, so he has to trust in his teammates and take care of the ball. Don't turn over the football. Let that defense put you in a good position. Sustain some drives. Let them get a break on defense and eventually put some points up so they can play with the lead. I think that it seems like a lot to ask, but I definitely think it's well within his skill set and hopefully he performs well, especially against a voracious Dallas Cowboys defense who's going to be after him in the pass rush.

They're going to have to rely on the run game next week. Eric Coleman, I think a lot of people were unsure what Robert Salah could be as a head football coach. We know he's a good leader, but this is where you really find out a lot about somebody. What do you think we'll see from Robert Salah the rest of the way as a head football coach? Yeah, I think he's going to be a big-time motivator for this team. He couldn't even hide the feelings that he felt when he saw Aaron Rodgers go down.

You saw him on the sideline and he was like you just saw a ghost, but it took him a second to regroup. Now he talked to his team, he motivated them, and now he's just selling that confidence in them. The preparation, the work that they put in before this season is all going to pay off. They still have the great players, they still have the team.

I think you're going to see more of a motivator in Robert Salah and hopefully that shows in the play of this Jets team. I know this is probably to an extreme, but the feelings of last night, if you're a Jets fan, for a moment it feels like you're at a funeral and then something else happens where you finally start to get a smile on your face with the victory that they did have. Let's just say when all the emotions calm down and people get back to business, if you were a leader in that locker room, what would your message be, Eric Coleman, to this group about the opportunity you have for the rest of the season? I would say that this is a great opportunity for the team.

They're at a point right now where no one believes in them. Their backs are against the wall and they have a great chance to sneak up on people, to play together as a team just like they did in the game. You can tell that the leaders in the locker room stepped up at halftime and had a nice pep talk because the intensity that the defense played with, the urgency that the offense played with, the special teams unit came through and made big plays.

That's all leadership right there. All the veterans stepped up, the coaches stepped up, and I think that's going to have to be a key factor moving forward. This is going to be a team. This isn't going to be on one guy's shoulders to go out there and win games.

They're going to have to do it on offense, defense, and have a strong showing from special teams to go out there and win games. When we're dealing with the torn Achilles here and also with the age of Aaron Rodgers, people wonder if he'll come back next year. Do you fully expect him to come back and play or could that have been his last game last night?

I sure hope so. As a selfish fan of the Jets, the game of football, and Aaron Rodgers, I would love to see him be able to appreciate success in New York. He's played in Green Bay, but there's nothing like having a winner in New York and just feeling that love. I think that Aaron was starting to feel that. Going to all the hockey games and basketball games, on the sideline before the game, seeing what success in New York looks like, I would love that for Aaron to come back, have a successful season, a couple seasons with the Jets, and hopefully one day lead the Jets to a Super Bowl.

It'd be great. Now on the flip side here, let's get to the Buffalo side of the game. I know the Jets' defense is awesome, but it's the same problem that Bill's had last year. It just looks like Josh Allen tries to play too much hero ball.

What does he need to understand? We all know how great of a player he could be, but these mistakes are really coming back to bite him now. Yeah, Josh Allen needs to understand that he doesn't have to do everything on his own. They have some great players. Stephon Diggs is one of the best route runners in the NFL. They've got the running game with James Cook. They've got some great players.

They've got a great defense in Buffalo. Josh has to understand that he is very valuable to the team. Sometimes he runs with reckless abandon, and yes, he's 6'5", 260 pounds, and he's strong, but if he keeps running like that, he's going to run into the wrong defender, and he's going to be on the sidelines really hurting his team. So I think he has to take care of the football a little better, not try to be the hero. Take what the defense gives him, and when the defense has him covered, now you can tuck the ball, run, but let's be smart at the end of the run.

Instead of running linebackers and defensive backs over, how about you get a slide and hop up so you can play the next down? I think he's just going to have to be a little more smarter from being the leader of that Buffalo Bills team. Who do you think is going to win this division now in the AFC East, Eric Coleman? Man, it's going to be tough because you look at Miami and the way they came out and played two or two for 466 yards.

Tyreek Hill was unguardable last week. The dolphins are coming. The Patriots, they did a great job defensively in week one against the Philadelphia Eagles, who everyone expected to just blow them out of the water, and it started again looking like it was going to happen that way. But I still think the Jets have a chance if they play good defense, they defend the home turf, and go out there and execute and play as a team. It's anyone's division right now, and that's what makes it so much fun. I think the Dolphins are the best team in that division.

They were my pick before the year, but we saw the injury last night of Rogers. The Tua concussion is just something you can't get out of your mind. If they're healthy, and if Tua specifically is healthy, I really believe the Dolphins are going to win the division this year, Eric. It's hard to argue that. Tua has done a great job of throwing the ball.

He's accurate. He's really proven a lot of naysayers wrong. He can throw the deep ball with accuracy. He's throwing the ball with some zip. He's taking care of the football. Giving his playmakers an opportunity to make plays. You've got to give a lot of credit to Mike McDaniel. He's done a great job scheming defenses and putting that Dolphins team into a great position. And then the Dolphins, they also spent a lot of money on defense. They've got playmakers up front. I know they signed Jalen Ramsey.

He's hurt, but they do have playmakers in the back end as well. It's going to be a tough division. I'm excited to see how this thing pans out, but I still have confidence that the Jets can play with any one of these teams in the AFC East. Let me get your thoughts on your other two teams that you played for, the Falcons and the Lions. Falcons, they have so much speed on offense defensively. New defense, they made a big improvement in week one. And the Lions sent a statement. I know there was no Travis Kelce or no Chris Jones in the game, but to beat the Chiefs in Kansas City is no small feat. How about those other two teams you played for and expectations for the Falcons and Lions this year? Yeah, you know, I think for the Falcons, Arthur Smith has done a great job of still in toughness in that team. Offensively, you know, with Bijan Robinson, you know, they have the tight end.

His name's Swister. Kyle Pitts, yeah. Yeah, Kyle Pitts.

They have Kyle Pitts in Drake, London. They have a ton of great talent over there offensively in Atlanta. So I think that with that division, you know, you talk about Carolina, the team who's struggling, you know, Tampa Bay. They played well in week one, but can they sustain it? They're really going to be between the Falcons and the New Orleans Saints.

So, you know, it's up in the air. I think the Falcons can win the NFC South if they continue to string these games together. But looking at Detroit, man, that's the team that you can't help but root for. You know, Dan Campbell is a guy. He's a man's man. He's a tough, hard-nosed coach. His team takes on his attitude when they take the field, and you can't help but root for the Lions. So, you know, he's really done a great job of changing the culture in Detroit, and I'm excited to see how far they can go, you know, playing in the NFC North.

It's a tough division this year, but I think the Lions can come out on top as well. By the way, I know what you said going back to Zach Wilson, and Robert Salah also said Zach Wilson's the guy, and they'll bring somebody else in to back up Zach Wilson, but is there a name out there that you go, okay, maybe the Jets should target to go bring in to replace Aaron Rodgers for this year? Well, you know, there's, I mean, guys like Colt McCoy is a guy who's played well in Arizona, but, you know, my former teammate Matthew Stafford over in Los Angeles, you know, I heard rumors that they could possibly trade for him. I think that would be awesome to have Matt, you know, come play in New York. He's a guy with tremendous talent who doesn't have a lot of available talent in Los Angeles right now. You know, I think he's a player that could, you know, eventually, once he learns the offense, could help the Jets tremendously at the quarterback position. The only thing with that one, you're gonna have to give up a lot to go get Matthew Stafford, and I don't know how they make it work financially, but if they're still intending for Rodgers to be the quarterback next year and come on back, I don't think they could find a way to pull the trigger on Matthew Stafford, because he's still got a few years left on that contract. Yeah, tell Woody just to give them the Rams, his chain, and I'm sure that's going to be a even exchange.

Yeah, that chain by Woody Johnson, I think given to him by Sauce Gardner was something. Last thing, by the way, I got to bring up your alma mater. What a win for them, Washington State, over the weekend against Wisconsin. Yeah, my crews have been putting it together, man, you know, it's the last year in the Pac-12, trying to figure out what's going to happen conference-wise for the team, but they've really put together a very solid team, and I hope that they can stay consistent and end up at the top of the Pac-12 for that last year. You know, we won a championship when I was at Washington State, we tied with USC for the Pac-12 championship, and the quarterback, Cam Johnson, has done a great job, so hopefully they can keep stringing them up. Eric Coleman, great to reconnect with you, always awesome when we get you on the show, thanks so much for doing this and you be well.

Thanks so much, have a good one. There you go, Eric Coleman joining us, who is very muscular. We see him all the time on TV with all the different TV shows that he does, and I think he always goes, man, that guy has muscles that have given birth to muscles.

He is jacked, no doubt about it. How about Stafford there? I've seen some Jet fans suggest Stafford, and I guess they may have placed a phone call at one point this offseason, or that was a rumor from what some people have been throwing out there, but if you intend Rodgers to come on back, Hickey, I don't get how there's any way that Matthew Stafford could wind up being a New York Jet here. If you include this year, he's under contract for four years, so I'm with you in the sense that unless Rodgers tells you right now, I'm done, like I'm not coming back from this at 40 years old with a torn Achilles, which he might not be able to anyway, unless he says right now I'm done, I don't say you bring Stafford in and then make it work and then trade him again at the end of the season or in the offseason if Rodgers wants to come back. If that's a good idea, he'd be a good fix, especially if you're right and I'm wrong, which so far off to a good start, that the Rams stink, then if you're the Rams, which rumors where they were trying to potentially maybe offload the contract. Look at you patting yourself on the back there, I like that.

I said so far, I said so far, so far. But that's one of those where, again, unless Rodgers says I'm done, I don't know how they could pull it off. So there was actually a report the day before that Sunday, that first NFL Sunday of the year, it's on NFL.com for me and Rappaport, that the Jets called about Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford before the mega trade for Aaron Rodgers. And remember, there were some thoughts out there that if a team wanted to give up something, that Stafford was going to be available this past offseason.

So maybe that's why this keeps on popping back up. And it's a good thought for the Jets, it's a good name to have, a guy who's won a Super Bowl, comes in, if he's healthy, he's good, but... It probably shouldn't be this way, but if the Rams would have lost this weekend instead of had this big win, I think it's easier to kind of make that argument. Like, for example, you threw out Kirk Cousins. I don't think you're making the Kirk Cousins argument today if the Vikings would have won that game and Tampa Bay would have lost it and they were 1-0. I think it's tougher to make when the team is 1-0 for where we are in the early stage of the season, because then what are you saying to the other 52-something men that are in your locker room if you trade away the quarterback? A little bit, yes, but I will say his contract being at the end of it, this is the last year, and the Vikings kind of dragging their feet, it seems like, with giving them a long-term deal, makes it a little easier, I'd say, to argue.

But yes, definitely a massage and help by the fact that the Bucks, led by Baker Mayfield, come in and beat them. Also, by the way, you know what the funniest conversation I think we've ever had maybe on CBS Sports Radio? Ooh, there's been a bunch.

Which one? How many people made a push for Matthew Stafford to be a Hall of Fame quarterback after he won that Super Bowl? Like, don't get me wrong, Matthew Stafford is a very, very, very, very good quarterback, and he had a heck of a game on Sunday.

He's won a Super Bowl, comeback player of the year, made the Pro Bowl once, but after one season where you win a Super Bowl, and I know he's had other good seasons through Detroit where the team just stunk around him, the fact that we were talking about Matthew Stafford as if he was this, like, all-time great quarterback, which is supposed to be the standard for the Hall of Fame, to me, it's funny when you look at how that conversation's changed from where it was two years ago. As someone in that boat, pushing for it, I will say there was a little extrapolation, assuming... A little hot take in the moment? They more assume, like, okay, the Rams are going to be in the mix. Again, I may or may not have said on this network, the Rams had the easiest path to repeat in a while, with when you looked at the NFC, the state of NFC last year, and obviously that did not go well. There was a thought that the Rams are not, like, they were not going, I did not think they were going to fade as fast maybe as they did.

So, I definitely will say that push was made in part by assumption of, yeah, the Rams will be back, probably at least get to one more Super Bowl, and you get the Eli Manning route, you're in. But you know what happens when you assume. Well, look... Take an ass out of you and me. In 2022, I look like an ass.

In 2023... Hey, you still look like an ass. So far, top of the division, undefeated, here we go. For one week. I got to say now, if they lose five in a row, then I can't be bragging about it. So, I got to get that out there, I got to get the Bucks out there.

I have learned now that if my predictions go wrong, I used to be like, God, I want to jinx it, I don't want to jinx it. Now, I got to go all in, because this could be the only week I could celebrate. You know who they play this weekend, right?

I have no idea. 49ers are assuming someone good, probably. And the weekend after that? Well, the 49ers, the loss out of the back, it doesn't matter. The Bengals. Okay, well, look, Joe Burrow plays the way he did. Win a bowl game. Burrow's going to carve up that defense.

Carve him up. You only play the Colts, so you get back in the winning column. Game is in Indianapolis, and then you get the Eagles. Not a great start.

Let's see where you're sitting. You know what? On October 8th, after that game. We knew the schedule was going to be hard early on. You get Cooper Cup back maybe after the Eagles game. And you already stole one by winning a game that not many people picked them to win on Sunday. So you're already kind of ahead, if you will. Not bad. Not bad. Let's go. Not good. Get it started early here.

You stole one early. Alrighty. Is Aaron Rodgers going to retire? It was last night, his last game in the NFL. We discuss next 855-212-4CBS, 855-212-4227.

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