The AFC East division is filled with everything imaginable. From the fast life and cars in Miami to the big city, big dreams in New York to the blue-collar lifestyle of Massachusetts, the AFC East has every spectrum of quality of life covered. Then there are the starting quarterbacks of the teams of these varying cities, the collective talent in the division rivals among the best in the NFL. The lefty in Miami? The Cyborg in Buffalo or the old but all-timer in New York? Here is part two of the quarterback rankings in each division.
Ranking the AFC East Quarterbacks
1. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
Allen enters his seventh season in the NFL as a consensus top-three quarterback. Recently, his peers voted him the 12th-best player in the NFL, which was third-best among quarterbacks behind Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes. His combination of size (6’5, 235 pounds) mixed with power and speed is unlike anything the league has seen. During his 2023 season, Allen finished 4,306 passing yards with 524 rushing yards, accounting for 44 total touchdowns for the Bills.
After starting the 2023 season rocky with just a 7-6 record after 13 games and on the outside looking in on the playoffs, Allen led his team to a dominant finish to the season. The Bills finished the season with an 11-6 record, winning the remaining games on their schedule and the AFC East crown for the fourth straight season. Allen’s efforts led to a top-five finish in MVP voting, his third top-five finish of his career.
Allen has turned the Bills into a perennial Super Bowl contender, and with his talent, the Bills will always be among the best offenses in the league.
2. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
Tagovailoa is the driver behind the wheel of one of the most high-powered offenses in the NFL. Miami finished the season scoring the second most points in the league with 496 with Tagovailoa under center. The southpaw quarterback enjoyed his best season statistically in 2023, throwing for 4,624 yards, which led the league to go along with 29 touchdowns and a Pro Bowl selection.
The 2023 season was essential to Tagovailoa in more ways than one. His 2022 season was injury-riddled with multiple concussions, and questions surrounded the former Alabama star of whether he should even continue playing football. Not only was there league-wide uncertainty about the quarterback’s health, but he also entered the 2023 season with a chance of putting himself in a position to earn a lucrative contract extension.
He answered all questions on his health by staying healthy in 2023, leading Miami to back-to-back playoff appearances. His success also put him in a position to bank in a four-year $212.4 million contract he signed in July.
3. Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets
Rodgers’s ranking is purely based on the catastrophe of the 2023 season that never was. After being traded from the Green Bay Packers to the Jets in the offseason of 2023, Rodgers only played three snaps for the Jets before tearing his Achilles and ending his season. Aside from the injury, there is no denying Rodgers is an all-time talent.
Rodgers, who will be 41 years old in December, is far and away the oldest quarterback in the league. However, Rodgers could still have something to offer the Jets franchise, which has been starved for winning. His last season in Green Bay wasn’t great in 2022; however, the two years prior, Rodgers won back-to-back NFL MVPs at 37 and 38 years old.
Outside of Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers is the most statistically accomplished quarterback currently playing. He is a four-time MVP, a Super Bowl champion, and a ten-time pro-bowler, and with that body of work, it’s easy to see why the Jets have high expectations for this season, even if Rodgers is older.
4. Drake Maye, New England Patriots
Maye, the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, could quickly make his presence known in this division. During the draft season, the former University of North Carolina quarterback had been touted as a highly regarded prospect in what many are projecting could be a historic quarterback draft class. The New England Patriots thought highly enough of Maye that they wanted to select him with a top-three pick.
Maye possesses a nice blend of arm strength, pocket movement, and size, making him appealing to scouts and teams around the league. After the Mac Jones experiment went sour, the Patriots hope to have selected their true post-Tom Brady successor with Maye.
With the defenses Maye will face in the division, he will get the chance to prove himself to his team and league. He could be one of the future faces of the NFL.
The race for the AFC East crown is going to be one to watch this season. Allen has reigned supreme as the quarterback of the division’s best team. However, Tagovailoa and the Dolphins have been scratching at the door the last couple of seasons. Rodgers wants to bring glory back to the Jets franchise while Maye can establish himself as the new kid on the block.
