Where does NY Jets QB Aaron Rodgers rank among AFC quarterbacks?

The AFC is loaded with really good quarterbacks on really good teams. As I’ve written about in the past, there are easily four legitimate Super Bowl contenders and easily nine legitimate playoff teams in the AFC. Each of those teams possesses a really good quarterback.

With the acquisition of Aaron Rodgers, the NY Jets are now one of those teams who fall into the playoff/Super Bowl conversation with a really good quarterback. But where does Rodgers fall in the AFC quarterback standings? Let’s take a look…

Who are the AFC quarterbacks?

Before ranking the quarterbacks going into the 2023 season, we first need to identify them. The 16 AFC quarterbacks are Patrick Mahomes (KC), Joe Burrow (CIN), Josh Allen (BUF), Justin Herbert (LAC), Trevor Lawrence (JAX), Aaron Rodgers (NYJ), Lamar Jackson (BAL), Deshaun Watson (CLE), Tua Tagovailoa (MIA), Jimmy Garoppolo (LV), Russell Wilson (DEN), Kenny Pickett (PIT), Ryan Tannehill (TEN), Mac Jones (NE), Anthony Richardson (IND), and C.J. Stroud (HOU).

You could make the argument that neither conference has been as loaded at the quarterback position in the history of the league as this upcoming season.

Mixed with superstar young players, proven veterans, and quarterbacks ready to take the next step, this year's AFC will be a gauntlet to get through.

I’m going to break the list of 16 into three categories: Bottom Dwellers, Middle of the Pack, and Top of the Line.

Bottom Dwellers

• 16. Anthony Richardson (Indianapolis Colts)
• 15. C.J. Stroud (Houston Texans)
• 14. Mac Jones (New England Patriots)
• 13. Kenny Pickett (Pittsburgh Steelers)
• 12. Ryan Tannehill (Tennessee Titans)

Putting together these rankings was really difficult at points. Stroud and Richardson still have to prove they are NFL-caliber players, and ranking them over any NFL incumbents wouldn’t be fair. Stroud gets the nod at 15 due to his pocket passing and the fact Richardson is a developmental player.

Jones and Tannehill are players who regressed heavily last year in familiar schemes. A new offensive coordinator should help Jones, but they were thinking about trading him this offseason. How much confidence do they even have in him?

Tannehill, only two seasons removed from almost 4,000 passing yards, 33 touchdowns, and seven interceptions, looked like a shell of himself last year. Already 34, it looks like his career is tailing off.

Pickett slots into the middle of Jones and Tannehill. Unlike others, I am not sold on Pickett at all. It was a great story to see the Pittsburgh product go to the hometown team, but Pickett struggled last year. Completing 63% of his passes for 2,400 yards, seven touchdowns, and nine interceptions leaves a lot to be desired in year two. 

Middle of the Pack

• 11. Jimmy Garoppolo (Las Vegas Raiders)
• 10. Russell Wilson (Denver Broncos)
• 9. Tua Tagovailoa (Miami Dolphins)
• 8. Deshaun Watson (Cleveland Browns)
• 7. Trevor Lawrence (Jacksonville Jaguars)

The most difficult part of ranking the middle-of-the-pack quarterbacks was where to draw the line between middle-of-the-pack and top-of-the-line.

Lawrence made a jump last year, but I’m not quite sure if I am ready to call him a top-flight quarterback just yet. He still struggled at points last year and still turned the ball over too much to be truly dominant.

Deshaun Watson, off-field stuff aside, was a really good quarterback in Houston. A perennial MVP-caliber player, he lost a step on the field clearly during his time away from the game. Because of that, he falls in at eighth.

When healthy, Tagovailoais better than the ninth-best AFC quarterback, and he proved that last year. He can make big-time throws, and the addition of Tyreek Hill was huge. However, until he can stay healthy (he has been majorly hurt each of the last three seasons), he can’t be placed higher than he is.

Finally in the category are veterans Russell Wilson and Jimmy Garoppolo at 10 and 11. I think both are interchangeable in these rankings, but I opted for the assumed improved play of Wilson this year.

It’ll be interesting to see what happens to Jimmy G outside of San Francisco, where he maximized his game management skill set to win a lot of games.

Top of the Line

• 6. Lamar Jackson (Baltimore Ravens)
• 5. Justin Herbert (Los Angeles Chargers)
• 4. Aaron Rodgers (New York Jets)
• 3. Joe Burrow (Cincinnati Bengals)
• 2. Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills)
• 1. Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs)

The final grouping includes the top six quarterbacks in the conference. Lamar Jackson, despite winning an MVP and being the most electric of the group, has to prove he can stay healthy and also prove he can play winning playoff football before moving up the list.

Justin Herbert and Aaron Rodgers can be moved around with each other, but based on Rodgers back to back MVP wins in 2020 and 2021, he gets the nod. After bursting onto the scene, Herbert’s growth has plateaued recently. He needs to elevate the team and cut down on turnovers to move any higher on the list.

The top three AFC quarterbacks can be put into any order with little complaint. I gave the top spot to Mahomes coming off a Super Bowl, but I can understand the argument for Burrow or Allen.

Burrow is as good a complete player as there is in the league. With the Bengals up against the cap and big-time free agents set to hit the market, they need to find a way to win now. Burrow is the biggest piece of that pie.

As a Jets fan, watching Josh Allen is truly remarkable. Despite an uptick in turnovers last year, he manages to be the leading rusher for a team that also is as explosive through the air as anyone. Whereas other runners like Jackson struggle to make the tough throws in the big games, Allen seems to do it all with ease.

Finally, topping the AFC list is reigning champ Mahomes. He had a career year despite losing Tyreek Hill to free agency.

Watching him lead the Chiefs to a Super Bowl win on one leg was one of the most impressive football achievements I’ve seen in some time. Until he starts slipping, he will remain at the top for the foreseeable future.