Last offseason, when Russell Wilson was traded to the Denver Broncos, the AFC was expected to be a battle for the 2022 season.
Now, with Aaron Rodgers becoming a member of the New York Jets, the conference will become even more hotly contested.
The AFC will now be home to Wilson, Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrows, Justin Herbert and Josh Allen, not Tua Tagovailoa, Deshaun Watson, Trevor Lawrence and Lamar Jackson (at least for now).
Current AFC starting QB for the 2023 season, now that Aaron Rodgers # jets pic.twitter.com/PYVK3ZfAd1
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) April 25, 2023
The Jets have a strong team on both sides of the football, as they rank fourth in points and total yards in 2022 and have Defensive Rookie of the Year and Offensive Rookie of the Year in Sauce Gardner and Garrett Wilson, respectively.
Still, there’s a real possibility they could end up only as the third best team in their division.
The Buffalo Bills were seen by many as the favorites to reach the Super Bowl if they didn’t win the Super Bowl when they started last year, and with JuJu Smith-Schuster leaving the world champion Kansas City Chiefs, 2023 could be Buffalo’s year. Is.
The Miami Dolphins have two of the best wide receivers in the game in Tyreek Hill and Jalen Waddle, and their defense could be vastly improved thanks to the acquisition of veteran star cornerback Jalen Ramsey.
A big question for New York will be whether Rodgers will return in 2022 after seeing his production decline.
He’ll turn 40 late in the 2023 campaign, and he’ll have to adjust to a new coaching staff, new teammates and a new offense, not to mention new surroundings.
next:
Jets GM reveals what helped complete Aaron Rodgers trade