The NY Jets traded for Aaron Rodgers over a year ago with one goal in mind. Sure, the Jets were determined to end their now-13-year postseason drought, but they had larger aspirations.
The Jets traded for Rodgers with the goal of competing for and ultimately winning a Super Bowl. Those hopes were delayed following his unfortunate Achilles injury last season, but now healthy once again, those Super Bowl dreams have been revived.
But for the Jets to reach the heights they hope they will, they're going to need Rodgers to be at his best. Maybe not his MVP best, but they're going to need a healthy and competent Rodgers in 2024.
ESPN recently released a ranking of the top 10 quarterbacks in the NFL based on an anonymous survey of over 80 league executives, coaches, and scouts. Despite the growing skepticism surrounding Rodgers, the NFL still believes in the four-time MVP.
Rodgers came in at No. 8 on the poll, just ahead of Jared Goff and Dak Prescott. Multiple voters ranked him as high as No. 3 in the NFL while some left him out of the top 10 entirely.
As noted in the article, Rodgers actually appeared on fewer than 60 percent of submitted ballots, but nearly half of the ballots that included him ranked him as a top-five quarterback.
Rodgers has his doubters, some for personal reasons and some for performance-related reasons, but those who still believe in his talent and ability believe he remains one of the very best quarterbacks in the NFL.
That should be great news for a Jets team that is desperate for any sort of competency at the quarterback position. After years of abysmal quarterback play, even a league-average performance in 2024 would be a substantial improvement.
This is a Jets team that went 7-10 with the worst quarterback play in the NFL last season and putrid offensive line injury luck. If Rodgers actually stays healthy and plays at the level of a top-10 quarterback, the sky is truly the limit for this roster.
The Jets don't even necessarily need Rodgers to be a top-10 quarterback to end their playoff drought. They might not need him to be a top-8 QB to reach the Super Bowl. But if he is, the Jets should be viewed as serious contenders in a loaded AFC.
The Jets clearly still believe that Aaron Rodgers has plenty left in the tank. While the results are varied, many within the NFL still seem to believe the same is true. Now, it's on Rodgers to prove his doubters wrong and validate his believers.
