Green Bay now Mr. Rodgers' neighborhood

With Brett Favre's retirement Tuesday, the reins of the Green Bay Packers will, in all likelihood, be handed to a 24-year-old California kid who has never started an NFL game. Aaron Rodgers, a first-round selection out of Cal in the 2005 draft, has essentially had one significant NFL showing in three seasons as the backup to the NFL's Iron Man. Rodgers completed 18 of 26 passes for 201 yards and a touchdown in Green Bay's 37-27 loss to Dallas in Week 13 after Favre left the game due to injury. But now Rodgers will finally get his shot. So is he ready?

There is no reason to believe he isn't capable of leading the Packers back to the playoffs. He was highly touted coming out of college and didn't disappoint in his relief outing against the Cowboys last year. In a game with home-field advantage implications Rodgers stepped up and kept the Packers in the game the whole way through. But in becoming the first person other than Favre to start a game for Green Bay since 1992, Rodgers will face different sorts of hurdles. Like the media pressure of filling Favre's shoes. It was a similar situation faced by Brian Griese after John Elway's retirement. 10 years later, the Broncos have just one playoff win to show for it. Rodgers also will have a first-round pick status to live up to. But at least the very least, he appears a far better suitor than, say, the quarterback that was chosen first overall in '05, Alex Smith, who has struggled mightily in San Francisco.

Working in Rodgers' favor is an extremely talented wide receiving core and one of the league's better offensive lines. With weapons like Donald Driver and Greg Jennings to throw to, and Pro Bowl-caliber linemen like Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher protecting him, there won't be much room for excuses if Rodgers can't keep the Packers offense at a high level.

It would be hard to imagine anyone viewing Rodgers as a failure if he, at the least, keeps Green Bay in playoff contention next year. He naturally will always be comapred to Favre as his first successor, and because Rodgers has been a Packer for three seasons there shouldn't be much of a learning curve in 2008.

As No. 4 used to say it was "Super Bowl or bust" for the Packers. With No. 16 stepping in, that sentiment is probably far-fetched at best. But all eyes will be on Rodgers now as he attempts to lead the Packers back to the postseason.