NFL QB stock report, Week 9: Why the Aaron Rodgers-Jets experiment has failed

As the New York Jets fell to 2-6, it’s looking more and more like the Aaron Rodgers experiment is never going to meet expectations.

Perhaps the expectations were never realistic.

Rodgers is coming off a torn Achilles, and he’s also dealt with knee, ankle and hamstring injuries this season. As such, he’s on pace for one of the worst seasons of his career, and he might lose double-digit starts for the first time since 2008 when he took over for Brett Favre.

So, has it been due to bad injury luck, skill deterioration, organizational issues or a little bit of everything?

“(Rodgers is) trying to play as if he’s 10 years younger, and he’s not close to the same player,” a defensive coach, granted anonymity so he could speak freely, told The Athletic. “He can still throw it in a clean pocket with the best of the best, (but his) mobility is not the same. He’s jumpy and has missed some throws I’ve never seen him miss.”

A couple of coaches who have studied Rodgers said his footwork has been out of whack, and he’s made some mistakes that would have been out of character from his time with the Green Bay Packers, notably much of his performance in London against the Minnesota Vikings and that late first-half interception against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“He needs the run game, play action, screen game more than ever, but that’s not what he wants,” the coach added. “He wants to play the way he’s most comfortable. And he doesn’t have the offensive line or skill group to play that way. Getting (Davante Adams) will help. There’s always a chance he gets hot. I’ll never underestimate his ability as long as he’s still playing. He’s always turned it on when people have doubted him the most.”

Rodgers had a solid statistical showing Sunday in the loss to the Patriots, but he’s now carved them up 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 115.4 passer rating. In all other games, he’s completing 59.3 percent of his passes for 1,382 yards (230.3 per game), eight touchdowns, seven interceptions and a 76.4 rating.

“Rodgers’ skill erosion is real,” an executive said. “Not being able to extend plays with his feet puts a lot of pressure on the offensive line to be firm up the middle and the playmakers to get open quicker. I won’t be surprised if you see more of the screen game being put into their offense. They really need to ride Breece Hall more as a runner and pass catcher out of the backfield.”

The Jets had visions of Super Bowls when they acquired Rodgers in 2023, but their playoff drought is likely about to hit a 14th consecutive season. Rodgers, who turns 41 in December, is running short on time to change the narrative of his Jets tenure.

“Rodgers has been so good for so long that it’s almost like people believed he was immune from the effects of tearing his Achilles at 40 years old,” another executive said. “That’s a difficult injury for a young player. To be 40 and play at that (expected) level, that’s really hard, and they can’t protect him.

“At his age, Aaron is coming off a career-ending injury in most sports. To not have the footwork, quickness and mobility, that’s fine. We should expect that. But for some reason, the expectation is he should be looking like the MVP from 2021. That’s not living in reality. He’s probably doing better than most 40-year-olds with that injury. It’s almost unfair to him to ask him to be the driver of that team in those circumstances. But there’s a double-edged sword that maybe he doesn’t realize he’s not the same Aaron he was in 2021.”

Mahomes still ‘elite’

Patrick Mahomes is on pace for the worst statistical season of his career, but there’s not nearly as much concern about the three-time champ.

“Mahomes is playing at an elite level,” a defensive coach said. “(He’s) doing what it takes week in and week out, has complete command of the situations. His footwork in the pocket is as good as I’ve seen. (He’s still) growing every week as a player. Best competitor in the game.

“He just wills his team to winning.”

The struggles are more about the situation around Mahomes. They’ve had numerous issues at both tackle spots. Wideouts Rashee Rice and Hollywood Brown and running back Isiah Pacheco have been out with significant injuries. Tight end Travis Kelce has dropped off quickly, although he finally caught fire Sunday against the Raiders.

“The Pacheco injury is the biggest factor that not many people talk about,” an executive said. “They obviously miss the play, but also the physicality and spark he brings the offense. Kelce is getting older. It’s noticeable on tape that he’s losing some (yards after the catch).”

Yet, the Chiefs are the NFL’s lone unbeaten team. Credit their defense, for sure, but Mahomes has made a host of clutch plays in the fourth quarter to seal some close victories.

“Mahomes’ issue right now is injuries at receiver,” another executive said. “(DeAndre) Hopkins isn’t a stretch-the-field player anymore. It’s more of an issue of protection and issues with balance, which puts a lot of pressure on the QB. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with Mahomes. He’s managing a little bit of a s— show in terms of a personnel standpoint, their depth, changing out guys, offensive linemen, injuries.”

The Chiefs acquired Hopkins last week and Pacheco is expected to return at some point this season, so help is on the way. All the while, Mahomes is trying to figure out what works with the rest of his supporting cast, not unlike last season before he turned it on in the playoffs.

If their opponents can’t take down Mahomes when it’s looking like this, they might be in real trouble if the Chiefs figure it out down the stretch. And it’s a good bet that happens because they almost always do.

Biggest movers

There’s been a lot of stability in the top five of late, but Jared Goff, Jordan Love and Brock Purdy have been knocking on the door. Goff is the latest to climb to No. 6, and a two-spot jump in the top 10 is a significant rise. Goff is squarely involved in the MVP race.

Jayden Daniels made his top-10 debut with a two-spot jump of his own. He’s been electric this season and just had a signature moment with the Hail Mary to shock 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 fallen back.

On the flip side, Dak Prescott’s six-spot fall occurred after the Cowboys’ latest flat performance on national television. Prescott has thrown two interceptions in three consecutive games, including back-to-back losses to the Lions and 49ers, as the Cowboys have fallen to the 13th seed in the NFC and two games out of the playoff picture.

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Injury notes

Derek Carr returned to the rankings because Saints coach Dennis Allen said Monday he’s “optimistic” Carr would play this week. Carr slid in the rankings, reaching No. 13 in Week 3 but falling to No. 21 in Weeks 5-6 before the oblique injury. He is a decisive upgrade over Spencer Rattler, who debuted at No. 28 before tumbling last week to No. 32.

Bryce Young also returned to the rankings while Andy Dalton missed Sunday’s game with a thumb injury. Coach Dave Canales hasn’t announced who will start this week. Young debuted at No. 25 but dropped to No. 30 before he was benched.

Jordan Love (groin) and Drake Maye (concussion) remained in the rankings because they have not been declared 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)