Mahomes Fans Erupt After Rodgers Snubs Him in Playoff Pick

Jordan Rodgers has never been shy on television, but his latest pick landed with a thud.

Asked on ESPN's First Take to name the AFC quarterback he trusts most in the playoffs, he passed over Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs and Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills.

He chose his older brother, Aaron Rodgers of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Pittsburgh is 6-2 and leads the AFC North.

Fans disagreed loudly.

Here is what he said, and what the data says back.

Jordan Rodgers opened by praising the competition.

"I'm gonna go with Rodgers… I think Josh Allen is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL right now," Jordan said.

"He and Caleb Williams are right up there for me."

Then he pivoted to his brother.

"The Steelers know who they are, though."

"They have an elite defense that's playing at a high level, and they run the freaking ball."

"So, they're asking less of Aaron than [a team] ever has at any point in his career."

That matters in Pittsburgh.

Aaron, now 42, does not need to win every Sunday with his arm.

He can lean on Jaylen Warren, find Darnell Washington in space and take a shot to DK Metcalf when the look is right.

Jordan boiled it down to one sentence.

"I just feel like I trust the guy who's got the MVPs, who has the veteran status, who's seen everything, and who isn't required to do everything for them to win," he added.

Social media had a field day.

One fan wrote, "Over Mahomes? Drug test him."

Another posted, "Water is wet, Jordan is biased… not that surprising."

A third added, "I know there are brothers of NFL players out there giving takes on their brothers, but this one is weird, LMAO."

The playoff record gives critics real material.

Aaron is 7-10 since his 2011 Super Bowl win.

He has lost his last three postseason trips.

His last playoff victory came in 2021 with the Green Bay Packers.

He is 11-11 as a playoff starter overall.

Patrick Mahomes, by contrast, has a 15-4 playoff record.

He has won three Super Bowls and appeared in four.

Josh Allen is 7-6 in the playoffs and has led the Bills to the AFC Championship game twice.

The numbers create a clear gap.

Mahomes and Allen have outperformed Aaron Rodgers in the postseason over the last decade.

Yet Jordan Rodgers went with family loyalty.

That is not surprising to anyone who follows the Rodgers family.

Jordan has often defended his brother on television.

But the timing of this pick adds fuel.

The Chiefs are coming off two consecutive losses — to the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks.

Kansas City sits at 5-2, still atop the AFC West, but the cracks are showing.

Travis Kelce was visibly emotional after the Broncos loss.

Mahomes has focused on preparation for the upcoming games.

The Steelers, meanwhile, are rolling.

At 6-2, they lead the AFC North and look like a legitimate contender.

Aaron Rodgers has not needed to carry the offense.

Pittsburgh's defense ranks among the league's best.

The running game, led by Jaylen Warren, has been effective.

That formula — elite defense, strong run game, and a veteran quarterback — has worked in January before.

Jordan Rodgers sees that and trusts it.

But fans see a quarterback who has not won a playoff game in five years.

They see Mahomes, who has been to four Super Bowls in seven seasons as a starter.

They see Allen, who has pushed the Chiefs to the brink multiple times.

And they see a brother making a pick that looks less like analysis and more like family pride.

The backlash was immediate and loud.

It spread across X, Instagram, and Facebook.

Chiefs fans, in particular, took offense.

Mahomes has been the face of the NFL for years.

He has won more in seven years than most quarterbacks win in a career.

To have a television analyst pass him over for a 42-year-old quarterback with a losing postseason record since 2011 struck many as disrespectful.

Jordan Rodgers did not back down.

He stood by his reasoning during the segment.

He emphasized the Steelers' team structure and Aaron's experience.

He did not apologize or walk it back.

That only made the backlash louder.

The debate now extends beyond this one pick.

It raises a broader question: what matters more in the playoffs — individual quarterback brilliance or team construction?

Jordan Rodgers argued for the latter.

He said the Steelers ask less of Aaron than any team ever has.

That is true.

Aaron Rodgers in Pittsburgh is not the same Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay.

He does not need to throw for 4,500 yards and 40 touchdowns.

He needs to manage games, avoid turnovers, and let the defense and run game do the heavy lifting.

That formula has worked for other quarterbacks late in their careers.

Peyton Manning won a Super Bowl with the Broncos in 2015 playing exactly that role.

Tom Brady won a Super Bowl with the Buccaneers in 2020 with a strong supporting cast.

But Manning and Brady were still elite when they won those titles.

Aaron Rodgers has not been elite in the playoffs since 2016.

His last signature playoff performance came in the 2016 NFC Championship Game against the Atlanta Falcons — a loss.