Aaron Rodgers trade to the Jets brings more heat to the AFC East: What it means for the Miami Dolphins

The AFC East is going to be a lot more entertaining in 2023 now that the New York Jets and Green Bay Packers have finalized their deal per Adam Schefter.

The AFC East will be loaded with quarterback talent in 2023 with Tua Tagovailoa leading the Miami Dolphins, Josh Allen leading the Bills, and now Aaron Rodgers will be leading the Jets. Poor Mac Jones.

The Jets are paying a premium for Rodgers after the Packers and Jets suspended talks for almost a month after the initial speculation of a deal broke.

The Jets are getting Rodgers and also move down two spots in Thursday's NFL Draft in round one. They will also get a 2023 5th round pick from the Packers but the real side of the deal comes in the form of what Green Bay is getting.

The Packers will get the 13th overall pick in the draft, they will get the 42nd pick in the draft which is round two. They will also get pick number 207 in round six. In 2024, the Packers will get a 2nd round pick but if Rodgers plays just 65% of the Jets plays, that selection will move to a first-round pick.

This is a lot to pay for a player that might only play one or two seasons before retiring, something he strongly considered doing last year and contemplated this year ahead of free agency.

Rodgers, according to reports, will wear number 8 for the Jets and not number 12. Rodgers wore 8 in college. Joe Namath reportedly gave him his blessing to wear 12 which is retired.

What does this mean for the Miami Dolphins and the AFC East?

The Jets are going to be a better team as a result of the trade. Their offense was already good but it lacked a quality quarterback and despite Rodgers being at the tail end of is career, he is still a dangerous thrower. Last year, the Dolphins should have beaten Rodgers in Miami had Tua not suffered a concussion at the end of the first half.

Miami will now face two of the top quarterbacks in the NFL twice a year in Rodgers and Allen and they will also face Patrick Mahomes and Dak Prescott in the 2023 season as well.

Rodgers presence in the AFC East will open the door for any one of the three teams to take the division title. The Jets won't simply be a team that the Bills walk over and if the Jets and Bills split, and Miami also splits with both, the division is going to be crazy where all three teams could end up in the post-season.

Of course that will be dependant on the Jets not doing "Jets" things. We saw this same scenario years ago when Brett Favre was traded to the Jets. Miami ended that dream on the final weekend of the regular season. Will history repeat itself?

Rodgers is going to face a much tougher division in the AFC East than he had over the last few years against the Lions, Bears, and Vikings.

While the Lions are no longer the doormats of the NFC North, both the Lions and Bears have not put up much of a challenge the last decade and the Vikings have been Rodgers' punching bag.

Will Rodgers dominate the AFC East? It is hard to imagine that being the case but we should expect tougher games across the entire division. Mike McDaniel once said that when you play the best players and teams you are better prepared to play the best players and teams in the playoffs. This year, the AFC East is going to have three very good teams with some of the best players in the entire league.