New York Jets' Aaron Rodgers Takes Big Fall in Quarterback Tier List Rankings

Achilles injury and age fuel debate over Aaron Rodgers' future as he falls from Tier 1 for the first time in 11 years.

East Rutherford, NJ -- August 24, 2024 -- Takkarist McKinley of the Jets Aaron Rodgers at the end of the game. The New York Giants and New York Jets meet at MetLife Stadium in the final preseason game of the 2024 season for both teams. / Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

Aaron Rodgers has long been a fixture in Tier 1 of NFL quarterbacks, consistently recognized as one of the league's elite. However, after suffering a season-ending Achilles injury in Week 1 last year, the unquestioned future Hall of Famer has dropped into Tier 2 for the first time in 11 years.

The fallout from this ranking shift has ignited a debate among NFL insiders, with some seeing it as a necessary adjustment and others as an overreaction.

Rodgers' injury was a devastating blow to the New York Jets, but it has also fueled doubts about his current form and future in the league.

Speaking to The Athletic's Mike Sando, one anonymous head coach didn't mince words: "You go back and watch those first four plays before he got hurt; he did not look good. He looks old. If they can’t protect him and they can’t run the football, it’ll be just what you saw late stages in Green Bay. He became ineffective. I’m looking at what he is, not who he is."

This coach, placing Rodgers in Tier 3, reflected a growing sentiment among some evaluators that Rodgers' best days are behind him. It’s a stark contrast to the past decade, where Rodgers was consistently seen as a game-changer, capable of carrying a team on his back year in and year out.

However, not everyone agrees with this pessimistic outlook. Rodgers still commanded 23 Tier 1 votes, behind only Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, and Josh Allen. One offensive coach who placed Rodgers in Tier 1 dismissed the concerns, saying, "Maybe he falls off. I just know the last time I saw him play, he can carry it. I’m going off that."

The division among voters is most telling in the fact that no player in Tiers history has rated as high as Rodgers did this year while also receiving votes in Tier 4. One voter even questioned the logic of dropping Rodgers out of Tier 1, asking, “Were the guys that did not put Rodgers in Tier 1 from the 29 teams whose offenses would be better with him instead of their current QBs?”

The Achilles injury and Rodgers’ age (he turns 41 in December) has undeniably created uncertainty. A voter whose team practiced against the Jets last summer went so far as to call Rodgers "fragile," predicting he might not last five games this season.

But with a retooled Jets offense that includes Mike Williams and a bolstered offensive line featuring Tyron Smith, Morgan Moses, and Olu Fashanu, Rodgers has a stronger supporting cast than he did at the start of 2023.

As one voter pointed out, “The complaint in Green Bay was he did not have the receiver help he needed as he got older. You cannot say that now with what they have around him on the Jets. If we get a Rodgers year where the Jets are back in playoffs and winning playoff games, that’s just what happens when you have a Tier 1 quarterback.”

Ultimately, Rodgers’ drop in the rankings is as much about uncertainty as it is about any perceived decline in skill. The upcoming season will be the true test of whether Aaron Rodgers can still perform at the elite level he’s known for or if Father Time has finally caught up with one of the NFL’s greatest quarterbacks of all time.