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 Burrow, Justin Herbert, and Josh Allen, not to mention Tua Tagovailoa, Deshaun Watson, Trevor Lawrence, and Lamar Jackson (at least for now).
Current AFC starting QBs for the 2023 season, now that Aaron Rodgers was traded to the #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 ranked fourth in points and total yards allowed in 2022 and posses the reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year and Offensive Rookie of the Year in Sauce Gardner and Garrett Wilson, respectively.
Still, there is a real chance they could end up as only the third-best team in their division.
The Buffalo Bills were seen by many as the favorites to reach, if not win the Super Bowl when last year started, and with JuJu Smith-Schuster leaving the world champion Kansas City Chiefs, 2023 could be Buffalo’s year.
The Miami Dolphins have two of the game’s best wide receivers in Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, and their defense could be much improved thanks to the acquisition of veteran star cornerback Jalen Ramsey.
A big question for New York will be whether Rodgers will rebound after seeing his production drop in 2022.
He will turn 40 years of age late in the 2023 campaign, and he will 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 The Aaron Rodgers Trade
