NFL QB Stock Report, Week 9: Why the Aaron Rodgers-Jets Experiment Failed

As the New York Jets fell to 2-6, it looks more and more like the Aaron Rodgers experiment will never live up to expectations.

Maybe the expectations were never realistic.

Rodgers suffered a torn Achilles tendon and has also struggled with knee, ankle and hamstring injuries this season. As a result, he faces one of the worst seasons of his career and could see double-digit starting losses for the first time since 2008, when he took over for Brett Favre.

So was it the bad luck of an injury, a deterioration in skills, organizational problems or a little of all?

“(Rodgers) is trying to play like he’s 10 years younger, and he’s not close to the same player,” said a defensive coach who was granted anonymity so he could speak freely The athlete. “He can still compete with the best of the best, but his agility isn’t the same. He’s nervous and missed some shots that I’ve never seen him do before.”

Some coaches who have studied Rodgers said his footwork was off balance and he made some mistakes that would have been uncharacteristic of his time with the Green Bay Packers, particularly in much of his performance in London against the Minnesota Vikings and that interception late in the first half against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“He needs the running game, the play action and the screen game more than ever, but that’s not what he wants,” the coach added. “He wants to play the way he feels most comfortable. And he doesn’t have the offensive line or skill set to play like that. Getting (Davante Adams) will help. There is always a chance that it will get hot. I will never underestimate his abilities while he is still playing. He always did it when people doubted him the most.”

Rodgers had a solid statistical performance in Sunday’s loss to the Patriots, but now he’s put them ahead twice. In two games against them, Rodgers has completed 69.8 percent of his passes for 514 yards (257 per game), four touchdowns, no interceptions and a passer rating of 115.4. In all other games, he completed 59.3 percent of his passes for 1,382 yards (230.3 per game), eight touchdowns, seven interceptions and a rating of 76.4.

“Rodgers’ loss of ability is real,” said one executive. “The fact that he can’t extend plays with his feet puts a lot of pressure on the offensive line to be tighter in the middle and get the playmakers open quicker. I wouldn’t be surprised if their offense uses more screen play. They really need to ride Breece Hall more as a runner and pass catcher out of the backfield.”

The rush comes home on 3rd down 😤

📺: CBS pic.twitter.com/2RvF7RzR7g

– New England Patriots (@Patriots) October 27, 2024

The Jets had visions of Super Bowls when they acquired Rodgers in 2023, but their playoff drought may soon reach a 14th straight season. Rodgers, who turns 41 in December, no longer has time to change the narrative of his tenure with the Jets.

“Rodgers had been doing so well for so long that you almost thought he was immune to the effects of a ruptured Achilles tendon at age 40,” another manager said. “This is a serious injury for a young player. Playing at 40 and playing at this (expected) level is really hard and they can’t protect him.

“At his age, Aaron is recovering from a career-ending injury in most sports. It’s okay to not have the necessary footwork, speed and agility. We should expect that. But for some reason, he’s expected to look like the 2021 MVP. That doesn’t correspond to reality. He’s probably doing better with this injury than most 40-year-olds. It would almost be unfair to him to ask him to be the driver of this team under these circumstances. But it is a double-edged sword that he may not realize that he is no longer the same Aaron that he was in 2021.”

Mahomes is still “elite”

Patrick Mahomes is on track to have the worst statistical season of his career, but there aren’t nearly as many worries about the three-time champion.

“Mahomes is playing at an elite level,” one defensive coach said. “(He) does what is necessary week after week and has complete control of the situations. His footwork in the pocket is as good as I’ve ever seen. (He’s still developing) every week as a player. Best competitor in the game.

“He wants his team to win.”

Go deeper

How Chiefs newcomer DeAndre Hopkins helped Travis Kelce have his best game of the season

The fights are more about the Mahomes situation. They had numerous problems at both points of attack. Wideouts Rashee Rice and Hollywood Brown and running back Isiah Pacheco are out with significant injuries. Tight end Travis Kelce has faded quickly, although he finally caught fire on Sunday against the Raiders.

“The Pacheco injury is the biggest factor that not many people talk about,” one executive said. “They obviously miss the game, but also the physicality and drive that he brings to the offense. Kelce is getting older. You can see on the tape that he lost a few yards after the catch.”

Still, the Chiefs are the only undefeated team in the NFL. You definitely have to give their defense credit, but Mahomes made a number of key fourth-quarter attacks to pull off some close victories.

We’re not worth it. pic.twitter.com/8dYWhc0ybA

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) October 27, 2024

“Mahomes’ problem right now is injuries at receiver,” another executive said. “(DeAndre) Hopkins is no longer an all-around player. It’s more about protection and balance issues, which puts a lot of pressure on the QB. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with Mahomes. He manages it a little bit from a personnel perspective, their strength, the substitutions, the offensive linemen and the injuries.”

The Chiefs acquired Hopkins last week and Pacheco is expected to return at some point this season, so help is on the way. Meanwhile, Mahomes is trying to figure out what works with the rest of his supporting cast, much like he did last season before heading into the playoffs.

If their opponents can’t beat Mahomes at these prospects, they could be in real trouble if the Chiefs figure it out down the stretch. And it’s a good bet that that happens, because it almost always does.

Biggest movers

There’s been a lot of stability in the top five lately, but Jared Goff, Jordan Love and Brock Purdy have been knocking on the door. Goff is the latest to move up to No. 6, and a jump of two spots in the top 10 is a significant move up. Goff is directly involved in the MVP race.

Jayden Daniels made his top 10 debut with a two-place jump of his own. He’s been electric this season and just had a special Hail Mary moment that shocked Caleb Williams and the Bears. Daniels, who has spent four consecutive weeks in the top 13, and Lamar Jackson are the only two QBs who have been in the rankings every week but never fell behind.

A;FK;JD;KJF;LAKEJFLKJVAL;KEJL;JF;EFJ;LFAKJ

JAYDEN DANIELS Hail, Mary! @COMMANDERS WIN! pic.twitter.com/BsQ0Z84Rko

– NFL (@NFL) October 27, 2024

On the other hand, Dak Prescott’s fall of six spots came after the Cowboys’ recent flat performance on national television. Prescott has thrown two interceptions in three straight games, including back-to-back losses to the Lions and 49ers, as the Cowboys fell to 13th in the NFC and are two games out of the playoffs.

Go deeper

Week 8 NFL roundtable: Cowboys-49ers, NFC North abilities, Bucs injuries and the Browns’ woes

Injury notices

Derek Carr returned to the rankings as Saints coach Dennis Allen said Monday he was “optimistic” Carr would play this week. Carr slipped in the rankings, reaching No. 13 in Week 3, but fell to No. 21 in Weeks 5-6 before the oblique injury. He’s a significant improvement over Spencer Rattler, who debuted at No. 28 before plummeting to No. 32 last week.

Bryce Young also returned to the lineup, while Andy Dalton missed Sunday’s game with a thumb injury. Coach Dave Canales has not announced who will start this week. Young debuted at No. 25 but fell to No. 30 before being benched.

Jordan Love (groin) and Drake Maye (concussion) remained in the rankings as they were not ruled out this week. Will Levis (shoulder) remained in the rankings as he could return to the starting lineup this week.

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(Photo: Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)