Aaron Rodgers‘ final year with the Green Bay Packers was one of the worst seasons of his NFL career. He completed 64.6% of his passes for 3,695 yards (his lowest in a full season), 26 touchdowns (his second-lowest total in a full season), and 12 touchdowns (the second most he’s thrown in a full season). With his play evidently on the decline and with Jordan Love waiting in the wings, the Packers made the decision to trade him to the New York Jets.
The deal, which gave Green Bay extra draft picks, turned out to net the Packers Lukas Van Ness, Luke Musgrave, Anders Carlson, Edgerrin Cooper, Jacob Monk, and Evan Williams. Meanwhile the Jets really did not get anything immediate return on their part of the trade except for a great deal of preseason hype.
Aaron Rodgers Brought Excitement and Controversy in His First Year Away from the Green Bay Packers
Unfortunately, Rodgers tore his Achilles just four plays into his first season with the Jets. Before that, though, the Jets had the biggest buzz surrounding their offseason programs that they had seen in a long time. HBO’s “Hard Knocks” documented team meetings and practices, giving fans even more anticipation in what they felt was sure to be a Super Bowl season.
Rodgers’ injury changed things. New York, once again, finished 7-10 and Rodgers found himself in the news for all the wrong reasons. From controversial remarks about the Epstein List to the podcast episode where he claims modern architecture isn’t real, many Jets fans began to see why some Packers fans had been glad to move on.
The main concern, though, is that Rodgers is a 40-year old quarterback coming off of a major injury. While he plans to play for multiple seasons more, there is no guarantee that he will physically be able to.
Jordan Love Had the Best Season Ever for a Green Bay Packers First Year Starting Quarterback
Meanwhile in Green Bay, the Packers got younger on offense and defense, giving their first year starter first and second year pass catchers. While early results were shaky, Love ended up putting the best first season by a Packers starting quarterback in franchise history:
| Quarterback | Completion % | Yards | Touchdowns | Interceptions | Passer Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jordan Love | 64.2% | 4,159 | 32 | 11 | 96.1 |
| Aaron Rodgers | 63.6% | 4,038 | 28 | 13 | 93.8 |
| Brett Favre | 64.1% | 3,227 | 18 | 13 | 85.3 |
As displayed in the table above, Love’s numbers last season were better than either Rodgers’ or Brett Favre’s in their first year as the Packers starting quarterback.
One NFL Analyst Ranks Jordan Love Higher than Aaron Rodgers in His Quarterback Rankings
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In a recent rankings article on CBS Sports, NFL writer Cody Benjamin ranked Love as the 10th best quarterback in the NFL, and Rodgers the 11th. Of Love, Benjamin wrote:
“One of the most dazzling watches of late 2023, Love must prove he can rein in his inner Brett Favre as a gifted thrower, but one year into his gig as Green Bay’s full-timer, he sure looks to have the moxie of a long-term playmaker. His young weapons are still growing, too.”
And of Rodgers:
“If he’s upright, he may well remain a top-five player at the position, capable of maximizing the Jets ‘ playoff-caliber lineup. But there is a lot of mystery here; Rodgers isn’t just 40 and coming off a season lost to a serious injury, but he arguably also hasn’t posted elite marks in three years.”
It truly will be interesting to see how Rodgers plays in 2024. He and the Jets, of course, still believe he can play at a high level. After all, his 2022 season, while poor by his standards, was still a decent year for most quarterbacks.
Love, on the other hand, is only getting better and the players around him are getting more experienced. It will certainly be intriguing to see which one has the better year this season.
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