Aaron Rodgers won his only Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers during the 2010 season.

He captured four MVPs, also during his 18 years with the Packers, in 2011, 2014, 2020 and 2021.

The 15 wins that he led the Packers to in 2011 were the most in franchise history. And Rodgers also propelled the Packers to sustained success, guiding Green Bay to the playoffs in 11 of the 15 years as the starting quarterback.

But none of those years were the best of his life.

The best, according to Rodgers, have come the last two years while he’s been a member of the Jets, a word fans of the Gang Green likely wouldn’t use to characterize their experiences.

Rodgers arrived in East Rutherford, New Jersey, set to bring a long-suffering franchise a Super Bowl for the first time in over 50 years and ready to prove any doubters wrong. But Rodgers tore his Achilles in the 2023 season opener, forcing him to miss the rest of the year. He returned in 2024 with high hopes but it’s been a massive struggle for player and team.

The Jets are 4-12, continuing the longest playoff drought in the NFL, entering their Week 18 finale, their head coach and general manager were fired at different points in the season, and Rodgers has posted his lowest quarterback rating of his career and his yards per pass attempt are also his worst.

“Gratitude, honestly,” Rodgers said this week when asked about his time with the Jets. “The best years of my life. And that’s a perspective adjustment that happened at some point in the rehab process last year.

“Just the excitement and falling back in love with the game, getting to know the guys in here, getting to know the great men and women who work here, been a lot of fun. Obviously on the field been short of expectations no doubt, but this game is more than just that. This game is about the relationships. Things that really last longer, last longer than your body being able to play.”

Rodgers might be playing for the final time in his NFL career on Sunday. But his comments ahead of that game against the Miami Dolphins that this time in his life being “the best” raised eyebrows with NFL and Packers fans on social media.