AFC East preview: Aaron Rodgers adds more quarterback star power to a division full of it

The AFC East is shaping up to be arguably the toughest division in the NFL in 2023.

The Buffalo Bills have won the division each of the past three years. The New York Jets made the biggest move of the offseason, trading for future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers. And the New England Patriots, despite an 8-9 record and third-place finish last season, are always a hard out under coach Bill Belichick.

The Dolphins have constructed, on paper, one of the strongest rosters in the league and are looking to take another step after making the playoffs for the first time since 2016. But their efforts to win their first postseason game since 2000 and pursue their first championship since 1973 will start in the division, which the team has not won since 2008.

During an eight-part series leading into the start of training camp, the Miami Herald will rank and preview different positions for each team in the AFC East, from strongest to weakest. Part 3 is quarterback, and next is offensive line.

1. Buffalo Bills

▪ Projected depth chart: Josh Allen, Kyle Allen, Matt Barkley.

▪ Skinny: Allen is one of the best quarterbacks in the league and the linchpin of Buffalo’s offense with his combination of passing and running. There’s a bit of volatility in Allen’s game that leads to a rash of turnovers at times — he has thrown 29 interceptions in the past two seasons — but you take the good and bad with a player as dynamic as him. Allen could have a new backup again this season after the Bills signed Kyle Allen from the Houston Texans in free agency.

2. New York Jets

▪ Projected depth chart: Aaron Rodgers, Zach Wilson.

▪ Skinny: The bar won’t be high for Rodgers to clear in his first season in New York. The Jets had the worst collection of quarterback play in the AFC among Wilson, Mike White and Joe Flacco. But when you trade for a future Hall of Famer in the biggest media market, expectations will be big — and maybe a tad overblown.

Rodgers is a year removed from his second consecutive league Most Valuable Player award. In those two award-winning seasons, he totaled 85 passing touchdowns with just nine interceptions. At 39, he might not be able to tap into that type of performance again. But despite a down season by his standards — 26 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, 91.1 passer rating — he still had flashes of a quarterback with elite ball placement and the ability to maneuver in and out of the pocket. New scenery, an improved supporting cast and maybe most importantly, internal motivation, could make for a special season with Rodgers.

3. Miami Dolphins

▪ Projected depth chart: Tua Tagovailoa, Mike White, Skylar Thompson.

▪ Skinny: The concern for Tagovailoa in 2023 isn’t so much what he does on the field but whether he can stay on it. He missed five games last season because of a pair of stints in the concussion protocol and has missed at least one game a season due to injury since he entered the league in 2020. The Dolphins are confident Tagovailoa’s jiu-jitsu training will help in avoiding head injuries. And on the field, continuity should help him build on a season in which he led the NFL in passer rating. For the first time since high school, Tagovailoa is playing under the same offensive scheme and play-caller in back-to-back years.

Elsewhere, there will be a competition throughout the summer to back up Tagovailoa. The Dolphins signed White, who has more experience, but Thompson looked more comfortable during offseason workouts after being thrown into the fire as a seventh-round rookie.

4. New England Patriots

▪ Projected depth chart: Mac Jones, Bailey Zappe.

▪ Skinny: It’s a critical third season for Jones, who regressed after an impressive rookie season. Were his struggles the byproduct of a dysfunctional offensive staff around him? A lack of playmakers? His own physical shortcomings limiting his ceiling? The answer is probably a bit of all three. The arrival of Bill O’Brien for his second stint as Patriots offensive coordinator should provide Jones some stability. So could the addition of wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.

This story was originally published June 23, 2023 at 5:46 PM.

Daniel Oyefusi

Miami Herald

Daniel Oyefusi covers the Dolphins for the Miami Herald. A native of Towson, Maryland, he graduated from the University of Maryland: College Park. Previously, he covered the Ravens for The Baltimore Sun.