🏈 Aaron Rodgers Wants More Than The MVP

Aaron Rodgers is enjoying an MVP-caliber season, but he won’t be remotely satisfied unless it turns into more. [View in browser]( [FOX SPORTS INSIDER WITH MARTIN ROGERS] In today’s FOX Sports Insider: Aaron Rodgers is now the favorite to take home MVP honors, but the Packers’ QB has his eyes on a bigger prize ... we take a look at the Patriots’ quarterback options for next season ... and we are treated to a must-see photo of Terry Rozier’s posterizing dunk over Kevin Durant. Aaron Rodgers had a few comments to make about his performance on Sunday. On the night the Green Bay Packers calmly dismantled the Tennessee Titans to retain control of the No. 1 seed in the NFC, Rodgers said things had been “solid.” A spectacular four-touchdown effort that may – and should – have etched his name onto the MVP trophy and simultaneously ended the hopes of the Tennessee Titans’ Derrick Henry, was, according to the veteran quarterback, “pretty good.” And, following the second to last game of a campaign that began with his successor being drafted yet will end with Jordan Love more likely to catch hypothermia from standing on the frosty Lambeau sideline than land the Packers starting job anytime soon, Rodgers claimed to be “quite happy.” If he ever becomes really thrilled with how things are going ... watch out. [STORY IMAGE 1] For the Rodgers hype train is building steam, even if No. 12 himself isn’t ready to jump aboard it. Sunday was a reminder that the prospect of facing an in-form Rodgers on snow-specked Wisconsin tundra isn’t any fun at all and, if Green Bay sees off the Chicago Bears on Sunday, the only remaining road game they’d have until next season would be a trip to the Super Bowl. Rodgers has one title to his name, but a decade has passed between then and now and this would be his and Green Bay’s best opportunity since then. “If they beat the Bears, they have to be the favorites in the NFC,” [FOX Sports’ Nick Wright said on First Things First](. “I want the audience to understand how rare this has been for Aaron Rodgers. Aaron Rodgers, in his career, has been the No. 1 seed one time. In his career, he has played a total of six playoff games at Lambeau.” Meanwhile, Rodgers continues to build upon what has been an outstanding season. With one outing left, he is now over 4,000 yards and has thrown 44 touchdowns to five interceptions, numbers that would be hard to believe if his play didn’t transmit so effortlessly. As a result, it is getting harder and harder to make a case for, of all people, Patrick Mahomes in the MVP hunt, simply because for all the Kansas City Chiefs star’s brilliance, Rodgers is the one guy who has outplayed him. [STORY IMAGE 2] “Rodgers is this year's MVP for one simple reason: He's done more with less,” [wrote NFL.com’s Jeffri Chadiha](. “Mahomes has produced another monster season with the assistance of the best tight end in football, the best deep threat in football and an assortment of other speedy playmakers at his disposal. Rodgers, on the other hand, has elevated the play of those around him.” This kind of season from Rodgers has kind of snuck up on us. There was apparently an overwhelming, undisputed, cast-iron MVP winner when this season was at the midway point. It was Russell Wilson, and he is totally off the radar now, even with the Seattle Seahawks still a real contender. Then there was Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen who surged forward, and Henry, who has steadily gained traction with those who are sick of the winner being a QB so often. Then Mahomes was the most popular pick with the Chiefs looking unstoppable, with Rodgers always hanging around but never the trendy pick. Until now. “Rodgers isn't just the obvious leader in the clubhouse to claim the hardware,” [wrote Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski](. “No one else should receive a vote.” [STORY IMAGE 3] It wasn’t supposed to go quite as well as this. When the Packers traded up to the 26th pick to get Love and resisted the opportunity to get receiving help it was heavily questioned, especially with Rodgers now 37 and with his presumed window of Super Bowl contention tightening. Yet the parts in place have been better than serviceable and perhaps the Packers, under Matt LaFleur, have been able to take care of both the present and the future. Davante Adams has hauled in 17 touchdowns and he and Rodgers have now connected on more passes than any other combination in Packers history. Robert Tonyan is thriving at tight end and a running game that revolved around Aaron Jones now has a legitimate second threat in A.J. Dillon. Realistically though, Rodgers is the man who makes it all tick. [FOX Bet now lists him at -150 to win the MVP]( and the Packers are listed at +550 odds to win it all. [STORY IMAGE 4] “Aaron (Rodgers) deserves the MVP, he's been absolutely magnificent,” [FOX Sports' Colin Cowherd said on The Herd](. “But who won last night was the Green Bay front office. “Green Bay looks balanced, physical and smart. They're one of a handful of teams that can win the Super Bowl.” The postseason can bring such unpredictability and hey, even with the New Year looming, this is still the 2020 season, so who knows what remains in store for us? Yet things do seem to be inexorably leaning towards a clear path for Green Bay in the NFC, just like it appears to be so for the Chiefs in the AFC. Rodgers has had his heart broken by no shortage of near misses in the past and Packers fans still wince at mention of the Seahawks’ infamous onside kick in the 2014 NFC Championship. He has seen his efforts crushed by bad defenses and untimely injuries and now, with the end of his career at least in sight, he must wonder how he has never gotten back to the biggest game of all. Adams, and other Packers teammates, are determined to put an end to that. “Being with that guy has allowed me to know what true greatness is,” Adams told reporters. As a wild season winds down, maybe all that prior disappointment is the reason Rodgers isn’t buying the hype. He’s surely enjoying a great campaign, but won’t be remotely satisfied unless it turns into more. [STORY IMAGE 5] Here’s what others have said ... Riley McAtee, The Ringer: “Just a few months ago, it looked like everyone—even the Packers themselves—had accepted that Rodgers’s best days were behind him. But Aaron Rodgers is once again the best player in the NFL. It still feels so good to type that.” Bill Bender, Sporting News: “Rodgers' success is taken for granted at this point, but the reality is he's having arguably his best season at 37. If it's a question of who is more valuable to their franchise, then it's another statistical toss-up with Mahomes.” Frank Schwab, Yahoo Sports: “This could end up being an amazing story for Rodgers. It’s already pretty good. He might be the favorite to win MVP, his third, after Sunday night’s performance. He has a shot to get back to a Super Bowl after the Packers drafted his replacement, Jordan Love, in the first round. The script is unbelievable. There are still some chapters to be written.” [IN OTHER WORDS] - With Cam Newton eligible for free agency and Jarrett Stidham’s role unclear, there is plenty of uncertainty under center in New England. [ESPN’s Mike Reiss]( takes an early look at the Patriots’ QB options for 2021. - Duncan Robinson is off to a hot start this season, including his seven 3-pointers against the Pelicans on Christmas Day. [Sports Illustrated’s Michael Shapiro]( explains how Robinson is thriving as the Heat’s not-so-secret weapon. - With almost a week of the 2020-21 NBA season in the books, [The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor]( takes a look at one trend or takeaway for every organization. [THE INTERNET IS UNDEFEATED] [THE INTERNET IS UNDEFEATED]( When it comes to a posterizing dunk, it’s very rare anyone would favor seeing the photo of the dunk over the video highlight. However, in this case, this photo is everything … and then some. Check of this post from the Charlotte Hornets’ Twitter account, which shows point guard Terry Rozier’s thunderous dunk over Kevin Durant in the Hornets’ 106-104 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday. The caption says it perfectly: “A picture like this belongs in a frame.” Well done, Mr. Rozier! [VIEWER'S GUIDE] Maryland at Wisconsin (FS1, 7 p.m. ET) Micah Potter and the Wisconsin Badgers host the Maryland Terrapins in a Big Ten matchup. WWE Monday Night Raw (USA, 8 pm. ET) Find out what Alexa Bliss has in store for Randy Orton this Monday on Raw. Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots (ESPN/ABC, 8:15 pm. ET) Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills take on Cam Newton and the New England Patriots. [BET OF THE DAY] [BET OF THE DAY]( Odds provided by [FOX Bet]( Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots: BILLS -7.5 The Buffalo Bills have a lot to play for in this AFC East clash, including locking up the No. 2 speed in the AFC playoff picture. On the other side, the Patriots’ postseason hopes are over, snapping a streak of 11 consecutive playoff appearances. Look for Josh Allen to continue his outstanding play this season and look for big-play wide receiver Stefon Diggs to be a difference maker in this one. Taking the Bills at -7.5 looks like a really solid play in this Monday Night Football matchup. 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