NFL insiders remain confident in Aaron Rodgers

It's fair to wonder if Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers will regress this season as the 39-year-old enters his 19th season. Yet some in league circles feel a decline isn't imminent.

"He's still really good and got weapons around him," an AFC executive said of Rodgers' ability to have a top-five statistical season among QBs, per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler."He should be able to throw for yards. [Wide receiver] Garrett Wilson will have a huge year. It will definitely be close, though."

In ESPN's annual list of Top 100 players heading into the season, Rodgers came in at No. 29. Also, in the 2023 QB tiers of The Athletic's Mike Sando — voted on by a combination of 50 league executives and coaches — Rodgers ranked fourth at his position. 

During his final season with Green Bay, Rodgers' numbers dipped slightly. In 17 games, he threw for 3,695 yards, completed 64.6 percent of his passes and logged a 39.3 QBR, well below the league average. Additionally, the Packers missed the playoffs, finishing with an 8-9 record.

Not all blame falls on Rodgers, though. After Green Bay dealt six-time Pro Bowl WR Davante Adams to Las Vegas in 2022, it never found a proper replacement. Per Pro Football Reference, the Packers tied with the Jaguars for the most dropped passes in the NFL (41). 

In New York, a better supporting cast should reignite the veteran QB. 

Wilson won 2022 Offensive Rookie of the Year and should reach the next level with an elite passer. Running backs Breece Hall and Dalvin Cook strengthen the ground attack, taking pressure off Rodgers.
Plus, Rodgers flourished under Jets offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett while he served as Green Bay OC from 2019-21. During that timeframe, he won two of his four MVPs and set a career high in passing TDs (48 in 16 games) in 2020. 

Rodgers is approaching the twilight of his career. But he's still a premier QB and there's a strong chance he can end the Jets' 12-year playoff drought, the longest active streak in the NFL.