Don't Worry About Aaron Rodgers Starting Slow

The Packers' first preseason game is just days away and it appears Aaron Rodgers is not likely to take part.

Brett Hundley took most of the first team reps during practice today, which typically means the team is preparing him for a major role in the next game.

Rodgers only played in one preseason game last season, and already you can begin to feel the takes brewing: if Rodgers doesn't play in more preseason games, won't he and the Packers fall victim to a slow start?

Fortunately, you need not worry.

Rodgers doesn't start slow

Though the Packers as a team have sometimes stumbled out of the gate in the Mike McCarthy era, Rodgers has been excellent in the first quarter of the season throughout virtually his entire career.

In fact, his completion percentage is higher during the first four games of the year than any other time, and his other efficiency stats are more or less in line with other parts of the season.

The only reason it may seem a little bit like Rodgers starts slow is because of how excellent he is throughout the rest of the season. His interception numbers are a great example of this phenomenon.

Rodgers is just slightly more likely to throw an interception during the first four games of the season than the rest of the year. During games one through four, he's thrown an interception on 1.7% of his attempts. That's higher than any other four game stretch of the regular season.

But still, Rodgers is on the whole his usual excellent self in the early parts of the year. If you're still worried about him starting slow, check out the full numbers here and ease your mind.