The New York Jets' season is an unmitigated disaster and the trade the brought Aaron Rodgers to the Big Apple is a massive failure. These are the facts of the case, and they are undisputed, as Captain Jack Ross would say. Now the only question is, does this horrific stint hurt Rodgers' previously-lofty NFL legacy?

“His legacy won't be impacted by his Jets tenure at all. He's one of the greatest quarterbacks of our generation,” former Jets QB and current Amazon Prime analyst Ryan Fitzpatrick says.

Despite going 4-12 as a starter through the first 16 games and likely failing to reach 4,000 passing yards for the third consecutive season, at least one more person agrees that the Aaron Rodgers-Jets debacle will ultimately fade into a footnote, much like Joe Namath on the Los Angles Rams, Joe Montana on the Kansas City Chiefs, or even Rodgers' Green Bay Packers predecessor Brett Favre on those same Jets.

“To me, it's a bruise,” a former longtime NFC general manager tells ESPN's Rich Cimini. “In time, it'll go away. It's the Jets. [Brett] Favre went there. Did that hurt his legacy?”

So, if NFL fans and historians ultimately remember Aaron Rodgers' Jets area as a small blip in an otherwise wildly successful career, where does Rodgers rank on the list of the best NFL quarterbacks of all time?

Aaron Rodgers' place among best NFL quarterbacks of all time

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) throws the ball against the Buffalo Bills during the second half at Highmark Stadium.
Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
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Any “Best of” list is subjective but there can also be some general consensus about where certain QBs fall when ranking the greatest of all time. Heading into 2025, it is relatively unassailable that Tom Brady is the GOAT and everyone else comes after.

As far as Rodgers' position goes, his four NFL MVP Awards make him second to only Peyton Manning (five) in that category but his one Super Bowl trophy keeps him down in a large group that includes the likes of Brad Johnson and Nick Foles instead of elevating him into the more rarified air of the signal-callers with two-plus Lombardi's.

So, while this is just one pundit's opinion, Rodgers currently falls at No. 8 on a list of the best NFL quarterbacks of all time (since the merger) that looks like this:

  1. Tom Brady
  2. Joe Montana
  3. Peyton Manning
  4. Patrick Mahomes
  5. Johnny Unitas
  6. John Elway
  7. Steve Young
  8. Aaron Rodgers
  9. Drew Brees
  10. Jim Kelly
  11. Dan Marino
  12. Brett Favre
  13. Ben Roethlisberger
  14. Eli Manning
  15. Kurt Warner

Being one of the 10 best QBs of all time is pretty good, although his spot could be in jeopardy over the next decade or so. While Rodgers doesn't have much more time to improve his legacy, both Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen do, and they are likely in the top 20 just seven seasons into their careers.