It finally happened. On Monday, news broke that the Packers had traded Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets. The traded included a pick swap in Thursday’s first round of the NFL Draft, a conditional second round pick next year (likely to be a first) and several other picks. For the Jets, it was the first solid answer they have had at quarterback since Brett Favre in 2008. For the Patriots, it was more bad news about an AFC East team adding to an already good roster.
Last season, the Jets went 8-9 while suffering through some of the worst quarterback play in the NFL. Zach Wilson started nine games and was largely an impediment to this team. His final stat line of 1,688 yards, six touchdowns, seven interceptions and a 54.5% completion percentage was actually better than I thought it would be, which speaks to how lost he looked at times. He was also sacked 23 times. Mike White started four games and fared a little better: 1,192 yards, three touchdowns, four interceptions and a 58.9% completion percentage. Joe Flacco started the other four games for New York and threw for 1,051 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions.
Combined, the Jets starting quarterbacks in 2022 threw for 3,931 yards, 14 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Rodgers, in a down year for him, totaled 3,695 yards, 26 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. His completion percentage of 64.6% was better than any Jets starter.
Rodgers may be an eccentric person and not the same, perennial MVP candidate that he was in his prime, but he is still much better than what the Jets had last year.
New York went 8-9, but six of those losses were one possession games. They have a great young core that includes Sauce Gardner, Garrett Wilson, Breece Hall and Quinnen Williams. They also hired Nathaniel Hackett as offensive coordinator, who in three years as Packers offensive coordinator helped Rodgers play some of the best football of his career. Development is not always linear, but if the Jets young core continues to improve and Rodgers stays healthy, the Jets should be a playoff team.
This is all bad news for the Patriots, who despite being better than they were a year ago, have the misfortune of playing in one of the most loaded divisions in the NFL. The Bills, Dolphins and Jets all have the potential to win 10 games or more. The Patriots could improve from last year, win nine or ten games and still miss the playoffs. There is a possibility that one of the other teams in the AFC East is a surprise disappointment (think Denver and Vegas last season), but no matter what happens with the rest of the division, the Patriots’ road to the playoffs got tougher yesterday.