Ranking the AFC East QB rooms: Where do Aaron Rodgers and the NY Jets stand?

2. The NY Jets are led by future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers, looking to return to form after injury

The depth chart: fans are rejoicing that QB Aaron Rodgers is back in the fold after years of ineptitude at the position. Tyrod Taylor joins the team as a veteran backup that was sorely lacking last season. And finally, 2024 sixth-round pick Jordan Travis will be the No. 3 QB in what should be a redshirt season.

Rodgers is an inner circle Hall of Famer. He would go on the Mount Rushmore of the best QBs of his generation alongside the likes of Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and Drew Brees. Just two seasons ago, he won his second NFL MVP award in as many years and fourth overall.

Normally, he'd comfortably sit atop this list and there would be no debate. The man is a legend, and his physical gifts combined with his intimate knowledge of the game have allowed him to have a long career of excellence.

There are two big looming questions, however, which need answering to fully understand where Rodgers should rank going forward.

First is his 2022 performance which saw his frustration with the Green Bay Packers come to a head following the team's decision to trade away his longtime No. 1 target, Davante Adams.

This was the cherry on top for Rodgers who had pleaded with the team for years to invest in more weapons but had never seen a wide receiver drafted in the first round in his lengthy career.

This led to a 2022 season which was well below the high bar that Rodgers had set throughout his career. His interceptions rose, posting 12 which was the first time he threw double-digit interceptions in over a decade. His yardage totals and touchdowns plummeted as he struggled to find chemistry with his young receiving corps while playing with a broken thumb.

Still, his 2022 season was an above-average performance and would have been among the Jets' best seasons all-time by a QB. He threw for 3695 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions, and completed 64.6% of his passes.

Those numbers compare favorably to former Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick's 2015 season which saw him many team records with a performance of 3905 yards, 31 touchdowns, 15 interceptions, and a 59.6% completion percentage.

Upon being traded to New York, Rodgers appeared reinvigorated. He was a full participant in the offseason program for the first time in years. He wowed fans and media alike with his no-look passes while dropping dimes all over the field.

As expectations and excitement soared to new heights, Rodgers became the star of training camp as documented in HBO's Hard Knocks. The beleaguered fan base finally had some real hope in 2023 as the regular season rolled around.

Then the season opener rolled around. Under the bright lights of primetime against hated rival the Buffalo Bills the moment all Jets fans had been waiting for arrived. And in a blink of an eye in typical Jets fashion, all hope was extinguished. Just four plays in, Rodgers went down lying on the turf in agony.

A torn Achilles tendon grounded his season and the Jets' hopes before they had even taken off. All of this leads to the second, and perhaps most pressing question, how will the now 40-year-old QB look after a major injury who had already seen his performance decline?

This year, Rodgers again has been a full participant in the offseason program and again has turned heads with his incredible eye-popping throws. The ultimate competitor, Rodgers has never been one to back down from a challenge and often uses adversity as motivation.

He's been written off before and his performance has often seen an uptick afterward as he has developed a flair for silencing his critics. This 2024 season will be his biggest challenge yet, and if he can return to peak, or near peak form, he could easily vault the Jets QB room to the top of this list.

For now though, there's enough unanswered questions that can't justify the Jets rising any higher.

Somewhat under the radar, the room has also improved with the addition of Tyrod Taylor. Yes, the bar to clear for an upgrade over Zach Wilson was low, but Taylor has built a lengthy career as a high-quality backup.

Now almost 35 years old, Taylor no longer possesses the athleticism that made him a dual threat earlier in his career. However, he still has enough juice left to show some ability to escape pressure in the pocket and can make the occasional big play.

He's more than capable of playing well enough to win a few games should Rodgers miss time. The biggest concern with Taylor is his injury history. He's had several IR stints after being pressed into action which is concerning. Still, a healthy Taylor is one of the better backups in the league as the Jets have finally corrected that mistake.

Lastly, rookie Jordan Travis rounds out the depth chart as the developmental No. 3 QB. Travis suffered a serious leg injury last November. Even without the injury, 2024 would have been a redshirt year for Travis.

The former Florida State signal-caller led the Seminoles to an 11-0 record before his injury, and his athleticism and smarts make him an intriguing developmental QB. Arm strength and accuracy are concerns with Travis, and he lacks the ideal size for the position.

Travis won't be playing in 2024, or at least shouldn't. If he ends up taking the field that means something went very, very wrong.